Purpose is everything! Sure, but it is also the buzz-word of the last few years. Organisations want to present themselves as purpose-driven. They often formulate the things they already do in one purpose-statement. It needs to be morally and ethically correct of course.
People often tend to do the same. In many situations it is or becomes important to understand your personal purpose and have it readily available when asked for. I also experienced this in the past. I remember having considerations like “what would others think about this” and “would it present me the way I want” and similar thoughts were going through my mind, trying to find the right words that would fit the purpose of having my personal purpose…
I have learned this is not purpose. Only when purpose makes you come truly alive, put you in motion and action, only then you start exploring your true purpose. It is also not the mind that invents or creates your purpose. In fact the mind is often misleading you and brings you further aways from your deep purpose. Deep purpose it something you sense, a feeling growing inside you that clearly identifies what needs to be done. Frederic Laloux (author of reinventing organisations) says is like this: “Purpose is the thing that forces you to make choices.” His view on “true purpose” is in this video.
The key word here for me is “forces”. You have to do it, even when your mind says something else. It forces you to say “yes” and “no” to certain things. Another test would be: “does your purpose serve the world to make it a better place?”. In the video link above you will find more criteria you can use as test questions for deep purpose.
Finding your own deep purpose can only be done through sensing. It requires self-reflection, awareness of your being and role in this world. It also requires some self searching on the influence of your ego; are we driven from external factors, or do we trust our inner leader?
Once you go down the path of self-discovery, you will never turn back. And if you wonder what self-discovery is, here is the definition of the American English Dictionary: “a becoming aware of one’s true potential, character, motives, …”.
It means digging deep and revealing the experiences that shaped you… good and bad. It means becoming more aware of your beliefs and living by them. The outcomes of self- discovery include joy, fulfillment, clarity and sometimes even enlightenment.
The journey however is not always an easy one as it includes fear, confusion, misunderstanding, doubt and literally re- visiting your choices in life. It is like a clean-up and sometime reshuffling of your emotions and their surroundings (including the people in your life). It requires making some tough decisions and sticking to them.
But when you make these decisions, you know 100% sure they are the right ones, whatever happens afterwards, whatever other set-backs you encounter during the journey.
You have set course based on your deep purpose, every journey starts with setting the first set.