Life purpose is a Big Deal. It’s fabulous to know what it is, finally, but then what?
I’ve heard more than a few people say that knowing their life purpose feels like this huge thing they suddenly have to live up to, and it feels so far away and overwhelming. Plus, how do they even start to get there?
I’ve come to think of life purpose as something it takes your lifetime to master and grow toward. After all, if you were done, you’d be dead, right?
Therefore, I see it as something that we must move toward — and live — incrementally. It’s something that happens with one step after the other, moving toward a culmination — a critical mass even — of steps, actions, choices, and decisions that have us embracing a new destiny.
And LIVING your life purpose means taking those steps and making those choices on a daily basis to be in alignment with who you are here to be.
Making the Choices in the Moment
Here’s what I mean:
My own life purpose picture includes Success, Leadership, Family/Community and Mass Communications.
Yesterday, I received a somewhat jumbled email list of tasks from another parent to help our preschool dealing with the sudden death of one of their teachers. I was a little overwhelmed by it and was trying to figure out how and if I wanted to help. As I contemplated the list, it became clear to me that the reason I was overwhelmed was that there was no plan to get the results we wanted (success) and no clear authority leading the charge (leadership).
I thought, “This project needs a leader.” And then, “I’m a leader. I’ll do it.”
I checked with myself first to make sure I wasn’t just seeing a need and filling it, but consciously deciding how I wanted to participate so I didn’t fall into the School of Service trap of self-sacrifice. Then I went for it.
What was so fabulous about this was having an opportunity to use my organizational and online skills to create ways for our community to communicate, succeed at creating the outcomes we wanted, and to be a leader while doing so. And voilà, I was living my purpose.
Don’t Fall Into the “It’s Too Hard” Trap
Living your life purpose is about making the smaller choices on a daily basis and seeing them through. Don’t be fooled into thinking you have to pull off the whole shebang at once. Yes, you’ll want to aim for that ultimate outcome of your purpose, but you’ll also want to be living it along the way.
A little bit at a time will be just fine, thank you very much.
Your Turn
What does this inspire for you? Let us know on the blog.
~> Ongoing. My Protection & Grounding Jewelry is on close-out. Only a few items are left. Find them here.
~> January 23rd, 2012. The next session of my Writer’s Circle starts. Sign up here. Get my Free Writing Tips series too, and receive a coupon for a savings on your first 4 week session.
~> February 2, 2012. Start the new year fresh with your life purpose clear in your mind. My next life purpose breakthrough group session in on February 2. Details. SOLD OUT.
~> Ongoing. Writing in the ProSeries class at ScreenwritingU, which was just named the #1 screenwriting class by InkTip.
~> Daily and especially Fridays. Sacred writing time. The Do Not Disturb sign is up.
~> Getting back into the swing of things after time off. :)
