The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions.
Rick Warren wrote these truths in the opening paragraph of his book, The Purpose Driven Life.
Purpose is defined by m-w.com as,
something set up as an object or end to be attained.
There is nothing more unique and fulfilling than to discover one’s purpose and live it out.
One of the things I have struggled with over the years is purpose. The oddest thing is, I have known all along what my purpose is, but I have continued to fight against it. Why would I fight against my purpose? Well, the reason is, I did not truly understand how my purpose would come together. I am still learning how the pieces interlock, but going through self-discovery processes with a coach helps to bring out the interworkings of purpose. For years, I have worked with the things placed in front of me and tried to get to the next step by climbing a virtual ladder. I had climbed and climbed, but I hardly made any progress toward living out my purpose.
The truth is, my purpose is multifaceted, and for those who have multiple talents or gifts, they can try to rank one over the other. To further complicate the matter, others will attempt to convince you to do the same. Not all people are created to do one thing and stick to it. Remember this, as you discover and begin living out your purpose, you cannot seek to understand your meaning through the council of others. You must find this through personal and spiritual reflection. You are unique.
As you discover your purpose and begin living it out, there will be interests you will limit or discard altogether. The ultimate goal is to discover you. Your heart will be fulfilled when you begin to live out your purpose. For instance, my life’s mission is to empower, encourage, and equip others. I am most fulfilled when I am working in this role. When I move outside my purpose, I do not enjoy what I am doing.
One question comes to mind, “Should I enjoy what I am doing?” The answer is yes! While you may experience brief moments due to the frustrations of life, most of the time, living within purpose should bring the greatest joy and satisfaction. For instance, when I am coaching others with Hardcastle Solutions and when I pastor others, I feel satisfied. Why? Because I am encouraging, empowering, and equipping others to live out their passions. I am fulfilled.
Finding what is uniquely yours, what you are created for is the best thing we can do. If you have not found your purpose:
- spend some time in personal and spiritual reflection
- write down your natural talents and gifts
- ask your closest friends to tell you what you get most passionate about when talking
- seek out a coach to help navigate you through the journey self-discovery
- journal
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