International coaching expert, Dr Bill Price writes about the importance of discovering one’s purpose in life. He asks a range of helpful questions to assist you to find the answers you need to facilitate worthwhile living.
Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over minor things, let them cry over little hurts, but not you! Rather discover and embrace your purpose in life and make your time on earth count. To embrace significance, we must take a close look at our lives and align our purpose in life with our natural abilities. Something that we really enjoy, excel at, live for or are passionate about.
When we do this, we become less defensive, no longer filled with fear, worry, jealousy etc, or inwardly focused, rather we start looking outwardly. Hopefully no longer trapped in mechanical, addictive behaviour. Instead we find ourselves in a place where we are challenged to give instead of take. Finding purpose in life is about developing to a point where high self esteem and inner validation flow together. It’s a place where there’s a motivation from within, where we follow our inner voice and focus on making a difference every single day.
Purpose is a place where we make transitions, where transformation is ongoing and we know what we want, where we’ve discovered our talents and are using them. Life is short, so we need to recognise what we are good at and what we are energised to do. We need to realise that our purpose is about working around the causes and people we care about deeply. Having purpose in life is about seeing yourself making a difference in the world. Purpose is about utilising your skills and capacity and living your life to the fullest. Instead of hoping that things are somehow going to work out for you someday.
It’s about making shifts. It’s about stopping overspending, refraining from being late, ending those toxic relationships, stopping the blaming of others, and ceasing from putting yourself down with negative self talk. When we embrace our purpose in life, we understand a few things about ourselves. For example we need to come to a place where we fully understand that we are unique. “What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters,” said Henry Thoreau, “compared to what lies within us. When we bring what is within us out into the world, miracles happen.
We need to believe that we hold our own agenda and embrace our own path and that we have sufficient energy and imagination to fulfil that. We need to see ourselves, as no longer timid or squeamish, but that we are resourceful. And that our lives are an experiment and the more we experiment, the more creativity and determination and imagination can happen in our lives.
We need to believe that we are capable of great results, that we can change our thoughts and change our world. That we are indeed capable of generating the right solutions for ourselves and have the ability to make powerful choices that move us forward in unexpected ways. We must take responsibility and ownership for our results. This is not only for what we do, but for also regarding what we don’t do.
We must come to the place where we trust our senses and the inner voice within us, using our conscious and subconscious mind to think through problems and design appropriate solutions. Our brain is capable of answering the most challenging questions…
Questions that may help you find your purpose in life
- What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail? If courage is being scared to death, what would I saddle up for anyway?
- Who am I becoming? What am I doing right now to honour my core values?
- What am I settling for? Have I arrived at the ceiling of my ability. Am I prepared to accept where I am, or stop what I’ve been doing and move towards becoming better?
- What is my legacy? Where do I focus my attention? Because energy is the essence of life. And every day, I must decide how I’m going to use my time, knowing how and where I want to focus my energy.
- How am I using my gifts and my strengths and talents? Am I using them in every way possible? Am I hoarding my abilities like a miser doling things out reluctantly? Or am I spending them lavishly like a millionaire without fear of going broke?
- What am I holding on to that I no longer need? What do I really need to let go of?
- How much time do I need to spend with people that inspire me?
- And what one thing would change me, my family and the world for the better? Because desire creates power.
Finding purpose in life is about reaching a balance. It is about having a clear vision, recalling it, remembering it. Purpose is about being grateful and doing kind and thoughtful acts. Purpose is about soaking up wise words and reading and learning and being insightful. Purpose in life is about action, and reflection and reflection and action. It is about taking a deep breath and learning to live in the now.
Purpose in life is about sharing laughter and smiling. It’s about celebrating and being spontaneous, able to live in the moment and enjoy it. Able to dance as if no one is watching, ready to shout, as if all can hear. Purpose is about connecting with your world and understanding that life is a journey! Endings are also beginnings. And beginnings are also endings and we just don’t know it at the time.
Finding purpose in life is about becoming creative, learning to improve your juggling skills. It’s about understanding that poetry creates motion because a poem makes the reader more alive to the world, more in touch with being human. Purpose is about understanding that there’s no place like home. Purpose is about living a significant life.
If you have questions about discovering your purpose in life, or would like to receive executive coaching from Dr Bill Price, email him at bill.price@me.com Also read: Attend a ‘Synapse’ with Dr Bill Price and embrace the neuroscience of leadership
