3 Steps to Discovering Your True Purpose
If what you’ve been looking for is where you’ve been looking, chances are you’d already have found it by now. That’s what we all start out doing: looking for opportunities in the outside world. It wasn’t until I started looking inside that things began to get clearer for me.
Clarity is not necessarily about knowing what you want. It’s about having clarity on what you intend.
What some people might call ‘magic’ is just your intention directed powerfully by your will. This is because you are absolutely clear on what you intend without having to think about it so much.
How to Get Clarity About Your Purpose in Life
Clarity doesn’t come from finding anything. It comes from removing the blocks that are in your way and uncovering what is already there and completely natural to you! It doesn’t matter how talented, smart, or in tune you are. If you are still contaminated by the past —especially family history— you will have difficulty discovering your true purpose in life.
Imagine the freak out I got when I told my parents I was quitting school – when they told me my whole life that I was going to be a lawyer, doctor or accountant. They yelled things like “You’re gonna be a bum!” and “You’re never going to amount to anything!” Do you think that specific incident might have had an effect on me?
The message I got, and many of my students got, from their parents was simple: if you’re not going to be a working professional, you’re going to be worthless.
One of the biggest issues that inhibits us from choosing paths in life that are natural to us is gaining the approval of others whether that be parents, partners, kids, teachers, role models, or friends, past and present.
The idea is to reclaim your life instead of only listening to their thoughts.
You’re here to take your place in the universe, not theirs.
Exercise: Discover Your True Path and Purpose in Life
1. Think back on your experiences growing up. What messages did you get about careers that were valid, appropriate, worthy, and careers that were not?
2. What or whom did you model in terms of how you work? Did your parents have a “stable” job? Did one work while the other didn’t? Were there conflicts over work? Did they love their jobs or did they “do what they had to”? Was work a joy or a sacrifice?
3. Were there any instances that influenced you as to how you think about work and money today? When you first started working, did you do it for money or because you loved your work?
Take a few moments to recall the messages about work and money that stuck with you and how your life has reflected these messages you received. The goal here is to be aware of these messages and give yourself permission to let go of any ideas if they don’t match your beliefs.
Like the saying goes, “It’s my way or the highway!” So what works for you? Do you believe in following your heart and passion?
This is your chance to wipe your slate clean and start following your true path to discover your purpose in life. Once you do this, there’s a good chance there will be a lot waiting for you to discover. It’s true that new opportunities tend to come our way when we’re not blocking them.
To Your Success,
I believe that by following my path i let other people down, depending on me, i do think that is blocking me!
By working hard you won’t get anywhere, i do believe that this is made up by people who are making lots of money out of you. I don’t believe we all came on this planet to struggle along, there must be a purpose why we all here! I think my purpose is to help others.
My parents were enthusiastic and were trendsetters in the hotel industry, but then found themselves in a hole they couldn’t dig out of.
Unfortunately I seem to be going the same way. I need help to avoid this.
Yo tome las riendas del Negocio familiar al enfermar mi padre; un negocio con muchas virtudes pero también con muchos problemas, los cuales arrastré por años. Últimamente realice cambios importantes en la forma de dirigir el Negocio que me permitió obtener mejores ganancias, sin embargo todavía tengo algunos contratiempos por resolver.
I have found my purpose, I just need to focus on beginning the process of living the purpose, action. Sometimes I am frozen in the marketing stage and don’t get anything done. I do believe in my skills but have difficulty starting the process.
Well, I agree with you with what you have stated because after high school, when I decided to go my own way in life, everything was awesome for me until I started listening to my parent that made me a nine to five junky thereby taking me off what I was interested in and happiness. I have now seen the difference and have decided to be me again because I have realized, life is all about what you do to stay happy and also making money from it…
Thanks so much for the guidelines…
Such an interesting set of questions…
Both my parents loved their jobs …
Father: passionate about teaching science & igniting curiosity in students’ minds — he was a university professor. He was good and he knew it. The job also served as a status/prestige.
Mother: passionate about improving operational processes — she was an engineer. She was good but for me the job mainly meant: security & independence. Later on in life, the job became a status/prestige.
I was so lucky because both my parents (despite being engineers) was artistic. My father drew caricature, he wrote poems and he enjoyed literature, singing & music. My mother knitted, did a massive amount of beautiful crafts & arts projects. She too enjoyed singing & music.
Growing-up, I wanted to work at something that I am truly passionate about – till now I am somehow in research for that. I didn’t work for the money. I worked because (which is very interesting) I was simply really good at what I did. Not necessarily passionate about it, but really good at because it acted as a creativity outlet for me. After I lost my job and couldn’t land a comparable one, a job became about security & independence.
It is a shame (in my opinion) how jobs attract those who seek security & independence rather than those who are passionate.
That’s why we (human beings), in my opinion, idealize the stars of the professional athletes – because they have to be super-passionate to become stars.
I believe that yes, everyone of us is here (on earth) for a purpose. God didn’t create us just for the numbers but for a divine purpose. I believe that the divine purpose is linked to our natural gifts and talents —> hence the question about what careers attracted you and which ones didn’t (if we think NOT in a materialistic way).
Some of my natural gifts are: writing, storytelling, humor, optimism, being well-received by people.
Some of my interests are: positive psychology (love, hope, & joy), music & singing, waltz dancing, enjoying & appreciating the innocence of young kids as well as animals, being in nature.
I am now asking for the Divine guidance to help put all the pieces together and come-up with this THING that I am meant to do – this THING that is just the perfect match for me.
Wish me luck please. I wish you all the best as well on your journey.
Me cuesta encontrar mi propósito …….? Pero voy intentando es difícil pero trato …..en mi país vendrá a dar una charla Jhon Maxwell creo q es una señal para mi vida …..así como ud. Llegó a la mia
My parents had their own business. They enjoyed it. I have the entrepreneurial spirit in me. My mom liked to spend money (not extravagantly) and my dad like to save it. I am a hard worker, very positive, and good energy yet people always turn on me and I lose jobs that I loved. I had my own business for many years but I like new challenges and wanted a change. I sold cars for ten years and loved it. But people (new managers) tried to push me around but I stand up for myself then they hate me even more. Most jobs I think they begin to hate me because I am excellent at whatever I get involved in. I became disabled and had to transition to insurance. I felt really blessed to work at Mutual of Omaha and learned a lot from my manager at first. Then he treated me like dirt. Another manager called me after he left there and told me he thought that manager was horrible to me. He wanted me on his team when we were at Mutual of Omaha but my manager said no and I would be “detrimental to his career”.
I have done taxes with H&R Block for six years and the have also treated me like dirt. I was told to my face that I am a terrible tax pro again I am one of the best. I stood up for myself and filed a discrimination complaint but have been retaliated against. Last tax season, I began to have panic attacks because they were so horrible to me. My district manager, Aldo Parodi, said he will not hire me for next tax season. The regional director said my retention rates were low when every other season I have been above national average. I caught them telling one of my clients (my clients love me) that I no longer work there when I was working there. My client was shocked to see me since that’s what they were told. I don’t have a lot of career coices now because people see me as useless since I struggle to walk.
I am trying to do insurance again, but I am deteriorating so much I’m not up to it physically but I must make money to keep my house and have the money I need for the therapies that help me which is non traditional healing. The medical doctors just do medicine & surgery. I got traction with physical therapy in the past and it helped me but now they say PT has changed and it’s all about being functional so they tell me to do things that I cannot do and that actually strain me more. I want to get my series seven license for my insurance business. Troy at Mutual of Omaha would not sponsor me to get it. I really want to work parttime at a brokerage firm until I get walking and feeling better but I am unemployable. So I am scared. In sales, I never sold from fear like many salesmen do. I always sell with confidence in the value of my product and my service in helping them get exactly what they want and need. But I’m not that person anymore. I’ve been broken.