Ever thought about what your purpose is in life? Some of us live our entire lives trying to figure out the purpose of our existence. Some people fail, and some people succeed. And then there are those people who know their purpose, but still they get diverted from them.
If you’ve ever faced a significant crisis in your life you’ll have experienced the power of purpose to tap reserves of energy, determination and courage you likely didn’t know you had. Your mission was clear. Your goal was compelling. Your focus was laser-like. Your potential was tapped.The power of purpose is similar to the energy of light focused through a magnifying glass. Diffused light has little use, but when its energy is concentrated—as through a magnifying glass—that same light can set fire to paper. Focus its energy even more, as with a laser beam, and it has the power to cut through steel. Likewise, a clear sense of purpose enables you to focus your efforts on what matters most, compelling you to take risks and push forward regardless of the odds or obstacles.
Nothing gives a person inner wholeness and peace like a distinct understanding of where they are going.
Fulfilment is a right and not a privilege. Finding fulfilment in life starts with understanding exactly WHY you do what we do.
How Do You Find Your Why?
Your why in life should be an underlying belief, which you can use as a reference point when going forward in life. The first step to finding your why in life is to first identify your values in life.
Everyone’s values are different because our values have been shaped and moulded by many aspects, such as cultural background, upbringing, religion and even big world events.
Identify your values:
Step 1: List out everything that is important to you. Things that would give you a lot of pain and hardship if you didn’t have them in your life. This could be your house, your family, your friends, your car.
Step 2: List out everything that brings you joy. Things that make you excited and happy. This could be things like a holiday, a dinner date, a social gathering with close friends.
Step 3: Group all of these items into themes. Are many of your items associated with security? love? novelty? Put them into groups and identify the theme of each group. These are your values.
Step 4: Narrowing down your list of values into your core values. Rank your values by importance and then use your top ones as your core values.
This whole exercise should take you a few hours, but by the end of it you will have a set of core values nicely written on a piece of paper for you to clearly see.
Your ‘Why’ Matters: The 10 Benefits of Knowing Your Purpose in Life
There’s no greater gift than to honor your life’s calling. It’s why you were born. And how you become most truly alive.
– Oprah Winfrey
It helps you stay focused
When you know your life’s purpose, it becomes easier to focus on what matters the most in your life. By keeping the focus on one particular goal, you are able to find your direction and stay away from distractions.
It makes you feel passionate about your goal
Knowing your purpose helps you find your true passion, and the passion becomes an important driver for you to achieve something extraordinary. Whether it is a childhood dream or a newly adopted lifestyle, the passion will push you to reach your goals.
It gives your life clarity
People who know their purpose in life are unstoppable. They are true to their purpose and shape their life accordingly. People who don’t know their purpose in life are not clear about what they want, and therefore waste their time on futile things.
It makes you feel gratified
When you have a purpose in life, you express it constantly and base your decisions, thoughts, feelings and actions around that overarching purpose. A person who knows their purpose tends to make a greater impact through their work, which encourages a feeling of gratification.
It enables you to live a value-based life
With purpose come values, which are an integral aspect of a person’s life. Values are the rules that guide our decisions in life and help define our goals. They are what tell us when we’re on the right path or wrong path, and help us find and connect with others who share our way of viewing the world.
It makes you live with integrity
Knowing your purpose in life helps you live life with integrity. People who know their purpose in life know who they are, what they are, and why they are. And when you know yourself, it becomes easier to live a life that’s true to your core values.
It encourages trust
People who know their purpose report a surprising increase in synchronicity and serendipity in their lives. With all this comes a deepening of trust and faith in other people, hence they consider themselves an integral part of the universe.
It infuses an element of grace in your life
People living their life with a purpose often report to be living their life with grace as well. This quote by German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe sums up the idea and intention at its best: “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.” When you commit to living your life with a purpose, amazing things can happen.
It helps you find a flow in life
People who find their purpose tend to live in the flow of the universal stream of consciousness. They allow things to happen and change in their life rather than fighting against it. They tend to challenge themselves and battle against their fears.
It makes life even more fun
When people know their purpose in life, they enjoy every minute of it. They are able to take pleasure in living a purpose-driven life, and are better at tackling every situation in a creative way. Even the dullest thing becomes beautiful and creative when you’re motivated by purpose.
Wrapping up
The benefits of living a purpose-driven life are clear. When you live your life with a sense of purpose, you begin living positively and start seeking out new opportunities. You start experiencing everything that you feel will make a difference.
Relationships are also affected in a positive way when you live a life with purpose. You seek out new relationships, nurture existing ones, and build stronger connections with the people around you. You become more helpful to the people you love and become a role model for your family and friends. You tend to live your life with more curiosity, try to stay away from destructive habits, and try to seek out good ones that will help you create a difference in the world.
So if you are still looking for the purpose of your life, don’t put it off any longer. Make it a priority, and you might soon find the peace and serenity that comes from leading a purpose-driven life.
