There comes a time in our lives when many start to ask: “What is my life purpose?” “Is there a grand plan for me?” “How do I find out what my life purpose is?” These questions can often start us on a journey to learn more about ourselves, to learn more about why we do what we do; and to understand how our nature became to be what it is.
To discover your own life’s purpose, it might be helpful to ask yourself these questions:
What gives me joy?
What am I doing, or when in my life do I feel a sense of wonder and awe?
In what ways do I want to be of service to others?
When do I feel closest to divine spirit (or God, or Nature, or any other spiritual belief)?
Think deeply on the above questions, during mediation or quiet times. Go inward and ask – soon you will hear some answers – your own intuition, your own wisdom; is providing you with guidance. Notice that once you start asking, that you may start to notice that clues begin to appear – your dreams may become more vivid and memorable, opportunities may appear unexpectedly, and serendipity starts becoming a frequent visitor in your life.
Your own reaction to activities you already do will give you the greatest clues. Activities that uplift you, the ones that give you joy and pleasure. Activities that, when you are so engrossed, you lose track of all time. The activity seems effortless, and doing the activity seems to create energy, not deplete it. There is a feeling of lightness and ease.
Whereas activities that drain you of energy; or those that are an effort, where time drags and you receive little to no joy or pleasure – I can pretty much guarantee that these are most definitely not your life purpose!
Start to observe your own reactions, feeling and emotions as you go through your daily and weekly activities. If your life is mostly made up of activities which bring you little or no joy, then you will probably notice how stressed you feel, that you constantly lack energy, and where most things tend to be a struggle.
Think back to when you were a child, what were some of things you loved to do, that you don’t do anymore? Was it dancing, singing, writing, dreaming, riding your bike, running along the beach in bare feet, jumping in puddles, helping others, building snowmen? Think of all the things you loved to do – even the slightly crazy things. Is it possible (and practical) to start doing some of these things again? Of if not the actual thing, then elements of the activity? Rekindle your love for whatever it was that once made your heart sing. Do more of what brings you joy!
The more you connect with what gives you joy, the closer you are to finding your life purpose. You may find that soon you may need to decide to stop doing things that really don’t serve you any longer; and maybe that means ending some relationships too.
Beginning the journey of self-discovery also means that you value the journey, the destination is pretty much unimportant – that will work itself out as you go. By all means know your general direction, and have some goals in place – but allow space for opportunities to arise that may well take you on a slightly different direction and possibly to a much better place.
If you want some help to find your life purpose, then give me a call!
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