Life Planning III: Finding Your Purpose

21st May, 2011 - Posted by L. John Mason -

Why are you here? What are you supposed to be doing with your life? What is your greatest value and are you using this correctly? Tough questions to answer. If you read the previous article on finding your passion then you may have a good start to finding your purpose but the two might be following different paths. You are lucky if you find your passion and your purpose can be connected AND produce a career that is most satisfying.

People have different definitions for the concept of “purpose.” I will define this term by offering a simple, but broad, definition. For me, your life’s purpose relates to what “good” work you accomplish in the course of your life. What are you most proud of having accomplished and does this have value to other people (being the “greater good?”) So, I define “purpose” as your investment of time and energy serving in a postive way. Other people will have different ways of looking at this concept.

If you can create a positive product or service that will be of benefit to the world then you are accomplishing your purpose. Teachers, clergy, healthcare workers, volunteers, emergency service providers, parents, and childcare workers can be easily seen as doing work which can have greater good to our world. There are many more activities and professions that can be clearly seen to have positive purpose. Politicians, business executives, military leaders, financial experts, and insurance providers can have a more difficult time addressing my definition of being a positive influence in the world. There are different opinions… Some of us never quite figure what our “purpose” is in this life. Sometimes our lives are not about our own accomplishments but what we can do to enrich the work of other people. Some people may be here just to raise children who will be of geater service to the world. It seems indirect, but has enormous value to the future of the world. For example, the parents of Alexander Fleming gave birth to a son in 1881 who would accidently discover penicillin in 1928 and save millions of people from infections and possible death. Was this their purpose to raise this child to become the scientist that he became?

Some people are fortunate to find that their lives have benefited many other people in the course of their lifetimes. Some of us know, at the moment we are doing the activity, that the results of this activity are of benefit to the world. To me, this a very satisfying experience. In my work, when I feel a deep connection with the person I am coaching, I feel satisfied and have a sense that this connection will benefit my client and possibly be of a larger service to the world. Perhaps I am kidding myself about the importance of this connection, but I realize that this special connection is a heartfelt experience that has great potential and feels very “right.” To this end, I recommend that you take every opportunity to deeply connect with another person and learn from this process. For me, it reflects a positive purpose in my existence. Other people feel the same but not everyone has to connect with other people in this way to have a positive purpose in their lives.

Self-examination of your strengths and your life’s experiences will assist you in finding your purpose but this requires some dedication and some detective work. To peal away the layers of your life’s experience can take time and may require feedback and interaction with other people to shed light on the value of these events. There are times when a counselor/therapist or life coach may be able to offer professional assistance that may make this an easier exploration. Sometimes we can discover that our greater purpose has nothing to do with our employment or work. We are lucky when it does, but there are other great ways that we can find our “purpose” being of service.

Once you begin to understand your greater purpose, you may want to find ways to bring this closer to the surface so you can actively participate in this activity on a conscious basis. You will be then free to pursue this activity more regularly, if you find it satisfying and positive. From my personal experience, I find that connectioning with my purpose and practicing it as often as I can offers me greater life satisfaction and helps me to endure the sometimes difficult lessons that life demands. If your purpose is positive and does not harm others, I hope you find it most rewarding to work your purpose with passion.

If you wish to connect for coaching please consider contacting the Stress Education Center at www.dstress.com and find & follow your purpose.