Finding Your Life Purpose

In my first post and introduction to my blog, I asked several questions that we all ask ourselves at one time or another. “Who am I and where am I going?” is a basic one. Ask yourself that question and begin your answer with “I am______." Off the top of your head, you would say, “I am a business man or a housewife. I am a father or a mother and so on.” Continue the process and dig deeper; brainstorming all the things you think that you are. Begin each sentence with, “I am…” Keep writing until you can’t think of anything else to say. When you have reviewed what you have written, pay attention to its overall tone. Have you described yourself in positive, or negative terms, or is it a combination of both?

This can be a good conversation starter with a close friend or partner. What would they say about you? Would you fear that it would be negative? Would they like to try the same exercise for themselves? Makes you stop and think, doesn't it? Are you honest with yourself and that person? Why or why not?

Let’s go to the second part of the question, “Where am I going?” You could say, “I am going to San Francisco for two weeks or I am going to go crazy if the kids don’t turn down the TV or my husband doesn’t stop using the remote to flick through 100 channels.”

A better question is “As I am journeying on this earth with these people in my life, what is my life purpose, dreams and goals?” Wow! That really makes us sit down and ponder!

As I look back over my life, I can remember being asked a similar question after finishing high school, “What do you want to do with your life?” Ten years ago after finishing a thirty-one year career in the educational field, the question popped up again. Just last May, I began a program that actually focused on “What is my life purpose?”

The key is to identify what gives you life, energy, happiness and makes you want to get up in the morning. Is it running your own business, caring for small children or retiring from a boring job to spend time with your loved ones at the cottage or travelling to see the world? Can you name yours?

In my case, I’ve always wanted to help people so I became a teacher and counselor. Now, I am presently working on my dream to write and publish a book which can help a lot more people than is physically possible for me to reach. Something inside is driving me to get my knowledge and experience on paper. My fear is that it is not what people are interested in. Does this sound familiar to you, and do you also have the same types of fears?

At the bottom of this blog is a place where you can write your comments about what I’ve written. I invite you to be the first to share your story. Tell me how my sharing, and subsequently; how my book may benefit your life.

I look forward to your responses, and wish to thank you in advance, for sharing.

Until next time,

Bride