Finding your true purpose
To find your true purpose in life, look to what you love. You don’t need to meditate and look up to the heavens – your purpose is already being shown to you by those things you would do without reward, simply because you love doing them. You can receive reward for them and you might want to and need to, but they are those things you would do even if you won the lottery. They are innate and unique – you did not put them there, they come from somewhere else.
So what can you do to get clear on what is most important to you?
Step 1: Identify your passions
Begin with the clues that are already in your life. Sit down and make a list of those things you would do if you won R30 million and didn’t need to work at all. Would you sleep all day, or would you get up and do something? Would you work at something rich in meaning but that gave little financial reward, or would you build a financial empire? Chances are good you are already doing some of the things that will form the basis of your ideal life. The only reason they haven’t manifested yet is because you haven’t got really clear on them.
“When you are clear, what you want will show up in your life, and only to the extent you are clear.” – The Passion Test, Chris and Janet Attwood.
Go deeply when you make your list and ignore, for a moment, the practicalities and all the ‘yes buts’ that your mind will probably offer. Your job right now is to get clear on what you love. When you are clear on what you want and are excited by it, the ‘how’ of things begins to take care of itself. Suddenly new possibilities open up, synchronicities happen, money appears.
Step2: Identify the top 5 passions
Go through the list, comparing one against the other, and ask yourself – if you could only have one, which would it be? Do this, comparing one item against the next, until you have your top 5. (The full process for doing this is described in The Passion Test book and is covered in my Passion Test workshops or individual coaching sessions.)
When you have your top 5 passions, write them down on a card and keep it somewhere in view. This will focus your attention on your ideal life and begin the process of manifesting it.
From passions to purpose
The Passion Test process outlined above gives you the important ‘whats’ of your life – the things you would love to be, do, or have. In my courses and individual sessions we take this further and discover the deeper reasons that motivate the passions – the ‘whys’ of your life. Once we know the motivations we can identify your Vision – your true purpose – and once we have the Vision and Purpose we can define an inspiring Mission Statement for your life. I call this process the Vision Spiral.
Here’s an example of a Mission Statement, written by an entrepreneur:
I declare that my primary purpose in life is to add value to the world by creating products and services that solve problems and bring people delight and happiness.
To do this I will create profitable and ethical businesses focused on filling voids and solving problems in the world around me.
In return I will receive handsome profits that I will use to build more businesses, to foster creative talent in less privileged people, and to build my dream home at the sea.
Inspiring? See the Workshops page for details on how you can discover your passions and write a powerful Mission Statement for your own life. Or if you’re in the Cape Town area, give me a call and we’ll schedule an appointment for some individual coaching. The Passion Test and Mission Statement can be covered in two or three sessions.
New - Self-hypnosis MP3 downloads!
Want to try self-hypnosis? I recommend these professionally produced hypnosis MP3 recordings to reinforce your process of change. Go to the Self-hypnosis MP3 Downloads page to find out more.