3 Step Guide to Discovering the Purpose of Your Life
July 20, 2021 2021-08-05 3:463 Step Guide to Discovering the Purpose of Your Life
3 Step Guide to Discovering the Purpose of Your Life
admin You may think that the sense of life and purpose in life are very different; however, they both stem from a common source. It can be not easy to comprehend the meaning of life, so I have grouped these two in this article.
We will be going through a step by step process, exploring your feelings and options. By the end, you should have a reasonably reliable tool you can immediately employ in your life to help give it a meaningful direction!
There are three steps to the process of discovering the
purpose of your life:
- Understanding the principle of choice
- Creating your “underlying principle.”
- Aligning your life with this underlying principle
Step 1: Understanding the principle of choice
You are living proof that every moment up until this very second, you are choosing what you have in your life, every conversation and interaction you’ve ever had. All of these things have resulted from a choice that you made at some point in time.
Norman Vincent Peale has this to say about the power of choice. “The greatest power we have is the power of choice. It is a fact that if you have been groping under unhappiness, you can choose to be joyous instead. And, by effort, lift yourself into joy. If you tend to be fearful, you can overcome that misery by choosing to have courage. The whole trend and the quality of anyone’s life are determined by the choices they make”.
This is the principle of choice. And it is the most powerful force on earth because it has given us the ability to choose how to do with our life. For instance, right now, you decided to read these words. You could have chosen not to.
Now stop and think for a moment: Why did you choose this article? What was it about the title that made you want to click on it? Because you felt that it would be beneficial to you? Or was there something else going on? Something more profound than just an honest search for knowledge. What if I told you that everything in your life is a result of the choices you have made up until this moment? The job you are working at right now, your financial situation, the friends and family you have. Your relationships, your living environment, Are all a result of choices that you made in some way.
“Choosing” is an important activity of your mind because you proclaim your desires to your subconscious mind by making a choice. Once the subconscious mind gets to know your desires, it will do anything to manifest them in your life. The choices you make in your life become your goal. And, if you are sincere in pursuing them, there is no reason why you should not accomplish them.
On the other hand, induction creates frustration and anxiety and can also confuse the subconscious mind about what you want. Many of us let others make choices for us or make our choices according to what we think is ‘correct’, even if that means that we go against our wishes. But the choices you make must be made by you, following your true desires, purposes and aptitude. What is suitable for someone else may not be right for you, and the way to know this is by listening to what your heart says.
So, to begin with, make a list of things that interest you; something which you have always enjoyed, which make you feel better, which inspire you to surge ahead, no matter what obstacles you face.
Do you like doing something creative or something artistic?
Do you enjoy nature?
Do you like the sea?
Do you enjoy helping others?
Do you get pleasure out of making a difference in other people’s lives?
Step 2. Creating “The Underlying Principle”
To help you understand the principle of choice and how the choices you make will affect your life, we need to ask this very question:
“What would you choose if there were no limitations?” – Eckhart Tolle.
This is perhaps one of the most powerful questions you can ever ask yourself. The reason for this is because ultimately, to discover the purpose of our life, we have to consider what choices we would be making if there were no limitations. What type of person would you be, how would you spend your time on earth?Think about that for a moment. If there were no limits to the choices you could make, what kind of life would you want to live?
If we can begin to uncover this underlying principle, we can understand what you feel deep down inside is your purpose in life.
Now, if we will talk about the “purpose of life,” there are probably a million and one different answers that people will give you. Some may say that their purpose in life is to find happiness.
If we look at this carefully, happiness is not a tangible thing. It’s very subjective – meaning that what someone else thinks of as “the ultimate form of happiness” may be utterly different to what you think it is.
What makes me happy might not make you happy. Therefore I challenge the assumption that there is such a thing as the purpose of life. It’s just that there are certain things we do that will enable us to live a healthy and fulfilling life. So rather than looking for the “purpose” of our life, I think it would be beneficial to focus on this instead: creating your underlying principle.I ask you to consider: Is there something in your life right now which isn’t quite right?
The next step is to examine the list you just made and find out if there is any recurring theme. Maybe, it is the contribution that keeps coming up, or an effect to seek or give love, or to help your parents cope with old age. Whatever it is, try to identify the central theme of the things you love to do and try to put it in a short and precise statement. This will be your ‘Mission Statement’. It may even be a quote by a famous person or a philosophy that has influenced you. Of course, as you grow up, this statement could evolve, but its soul will remain the same.
Now, write down your Mission Statement.
Step 3: Aligning Your Life With This Underlying Principle
Now that we have gone through the process of steps 1 and 2, it’s now time to use one final question to help us discover what is important to you:
If you could only do one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
If you can answer this question confidently and honestly, then I think you will discover the purpose of your life. You may still not know everything. What will give your life the most incredible sense of meaning and purpose? What is it that you feel called to do?
This question can change your life. If we focus on answering this question, we will have a sense of direction in our lives. We will know what it is that we need to do to feel fulfilled.
The final step in this journey is to map your path to your ultimate purpose and begin implementing changes that help to align your daily life with your underlying goal. By making these minor changes in your lifestyle, you will start living this principle out every day. It might take a few days, but by becoming aware and intentional of this underlying principle of your life, you will undoubtedly start to feel the difference in your enthusiasm for life as a whole. If you realize that you love being amidst nature, plan out your holiday. Maybe an outing with your children could be enough to recoup your energy. Maybe hanging out with like-minded people and maybe baking or cooking your favourite meal. If you discover that you enjoy helping those in need, start to look for opportunities to volunteer in your community. On the other hand, you might even want to change your job or create a new business that is more in line with your mission.
So there you have it! By following along with the steps outlined above, you will be on your way to finding and living out your purpose. And, as you go through this process, remember, “You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously.” – Steve Maraboli.
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I hope this information has been helpful, but I encourage you not to stop here – there’s more out there waiting for discovery! I would love to partner with you and explore the opportunities for growth and change possible in your life. I recommend you to take a look at coaching. It changed my life personally, and I’ve seen it impact the lives of many others too. I’m always ready to help people who are looking for personal development! Are you prepared to start exploring how these principles may be explicitly used in one or all areas of Business/ Career, Finances, Health, Family and Friends, Romance, Personal Growth, Fun and Recreation, and Physical Environment? Please get in touch to get started on what is most important for your unique situation.
God Bless,
Until next time.
