10 Simple Steps To Find Your Purpose
10 Simple Steps
To Find Your Purpose
by Lynette Landing
Then You Have a Purpose.
The first step towards living on purpose is determining which voice in our heads is speaking to us. I define the 2 voices that accompany us in life as Ego and Spirit. Ego will do whatever it can to rain on our parade and keep us from having fun. It says things like, "life is difficult, struggle is normal, hard work is good, be realistic and that idea is stupid". Spirit on the other hand, says, "you are unique and special, there is no competition, life is easy, everything is possible, and you can make an incredible living doing something that you love". So how do we move towards living on purpose?
1) Put your "Ego-filter" on and don't allow Ego to interfere with any of the next steps. Engage your Spirit-voice by saying things like "anything is possible, life is easy, I can make a great living doing what I love!"
2) Write down everything you can think of that brings you joy, no matter what it is (hobby, talent, luxury, etc.).
3) When the list is complete, focus on each thing and highlight the one that appeals to you the most. The one that pulls at your heart when you think about it. It may take a while to determine, but if you keep looking at the list, it will almost pop off the page for you. (We'll call this one your "heart string").
4) Now take a poster board or a very large piece of paper.
5) In the center of the poster board, write the one you determined as your heart string in your favorite color marker and circle it leaving plenty of room on the rest of the board to write.
6) Now allow your mind to brainstorm for you - think of everything that you could possibly do with this heart string that would make you a living. You may even want to include your friends or family (only positive minded ones) to help you in a brainstorming session.
7) Write every word or thought that comes up anywhere outside the circle. You may end up with 20 words, or you may end up with 100 words. There is no write or wrong. Just keep writing until you can't think of anything else to add. Use the internet to come up with ideas you may have overlooked.
8) Take time to evaluate all the words or phrases you've written on the board outside of the circle with your heart string in it. Circle the words or phrases that appeal to you the most in regards to your heart string.
9) Connect the dots - draw lines from the circle in the middle to all the other circles you've made on the board. All circles on the board should be connected with lines. You will begin to see a theme or plan come to the surface.
10) This plan becomes a blueprint to your purpose. As you focus on this plan, steps will naturally occur. You will be inspired with new ideas that align with your purpose; you will start to connect with others that can help; you will see doors open miraculously. And the next thing you know, you will be telling others that you are finally living on purpose.
So let's go through this process using an example: You write down everything you can think of that you enjoy on a piece of paper. Things like planting flowers, going to the movies, getting a massage, cooking, reading novels, etc. You look over the list a few times and realize the thing that pulls at your heart the most is getting a massage so you call that your "heart string" and write it in a circle on a poster board. Now using the key word "massage" and you gather ideas from the internet and you have a few positive minded peers come over to brainstorm and write down everything regarding "massage" on the board. You write things like "training; teaching; coaching, environment; music; candles; tables; techniques; tools; rating, etc. You've written every associated idea you can think of. You then evaluate all the phrases and begin to circle the one or ones that stand out the most and then connect all circles with a line. The circles you connect to "massage" are "rating; environments; techniques". No other words on the board appeal to you. These connected circles become your blue print.
Through focus, meditation, keeping an open mind and keeping your Ego-filter on, you begin to be inspired to continue to move in this direction. Doors start to open, more ideas get spurred, and the next thing you know you are not only making a healthy living, but getting free massages from hundreds of therapists as you rate the technique and the environment for a journal you've created that will be published in "the best of" columns in newspapers throughout the country. A win for you and a win for the therapist that gets a top rating in each city. And you realize how perfect this is for you because it also incorporates your love of travel.
Next thing you know you are telling everyone how you are living on purpose and making money doing what you love the most in life. So, what is your purpose?