Sep 11
28
Have you noticed others who are living life on purpose? It seems to me these are the people who have uncovered the secret of how to be happy in life. People with purpose are energised, keen to leap out of bed in the morning, enthusiastic about getting stuck into whatever the day may hold for them. They leap over hurdles and break through barriers as they push forward towards their goal in pursuit of their purpose.
I have friends who do a regular job working nine to five who have found purpose. Some find it in the work itself, recognising the worthwhileness of their work. They see how what they do contributes something of value to the lives of others. One guy I met makes glass tubes but seemed so happy. I was puzzled so asked him, “What’s so good about making glass tubes?” “These are special tubes,” he told me. “We’re the only people in the world that makes these. Here’s one being used right here.” He pointed to a picture on the wall. It was a photo of a glass tube in a life support machine specifically made for premature babies. He saw the worthwhileness in his work.
Others take the view that though the work might not be world-changing in itself, what they earn from their work supports their family’s needs. This can be a purpose in itself, knowing that those you love are provided for through the work of your hands. There’s nothing wrong with this; in fact, it is to be highly respected. To keep making a product or providing a service that others want and need and to stick at your job in today’s turbulent times is commendable.
Then there are others who have changed careers, changed locations, or changed their circle of friends in pursuit of a more meaningful way of life. One business owner I know gave it all up to become a care worker for people with special needs. The job is challenging but the rewards he gets from seeing a smile on the face of the people he helps makes it all worthwhile.
Sometimes all you need is a change of mind, to choose to be happy. Our feelings are controlled by our thoughts. What we think about shapes who we become. We can choose what we think about. Thinking about good and positive things will help lift your happiness levels. I remember singing a song as a kid, “Count your blessings name them one by one…” I’ve found that when I remember all the good things I have and experience in life I feel happier.
To be happy you may need to change your circumstances in life. If you’ve been feeling like a square peg in a round hole, if you think you’re no longer in the right job for yourself, if you’re starting to doubt if you’re in the right circle of friends, ask yourself, “Why do I feel this way?” We don’t have to keep doing what we’ve always done. You have permission to review and change your life. In fact, if you’re not happy now, I’m sure you need to change something in your life to become more happy. Sure, I’d encourage you to think through the implications of what could happen if you change things, but if you truly want to be happy in life, you probably need to do something different.
For some people that might be the right way forward, like my care worker friend who gave up his business, moved to the other side of the country, went through college and is now in a completely different line of work. For most people though, you don’t need to take such radical action.
If you can find work that is more satisfying and more in line with what you believe your main purpose in life is then I’d encourage you to pursue it. However, you could pursue a purpose in your ‘spare time’, helping out a charity, a community group, or even blogging about something you’re passionate about! Many people have found that by getting involved part-time they develop their skills, their knowledge of the subject and their contacts within that field. This can lead on to finding a way to be involved in that line of work on more of a full-time basis later on.
If you can find a way of living life more on purpose there are a number of benefits you will experience, such as having:
If you are, great! I’d love to hear from you. If not, could you be missing out on some of the benefits I’ve just listed? If you’re looking for a life that is truly satisfying, a life full of inner assurance, peace and happiness, I’d suggest you will find the answer by discovering and living out your life purpose. This, I believe, is the secret of how to be happy in life. Why not make it your aim today to commit to finding and living out your unique purpose in life?
Sep 11
18
I used to think the opposite of living with purpose is to live a life without purpose. This would mean drifting through life without knowing why you are here or what you could be investing your life into. Many people I’ve met seem to be thinking short-term, doing what they need to do to get from one pay-day to the next. When asked what their purpose is you sometimes get a quick reply, “Survival!”
Focusing on short-term survival can provide a sense of purpose. You’re looking to meet your immediate needs. If your income is essential to help keep yourself or your family afloat then you do see an immediate benefit for your efforts. This results in a sense of satisfaction as you put food on the table and keep a roof over your head. Just keeping body and soul together in today’s challenging times can be a major achievement for some. So, short-term survival can become a form of living with purpose in itself.
There are another group of people though, those who know they have a purpose in life but aren’t living it out. If that’s you I guess you’re probably experiencing an inner tension and struggle. You know what you should be doing but aren’t doing it. This results in a life of frustration and discontentment. I believe this is the opposite of living with purpose, when you know your purpose in life but for whatever reason you aren’t living it out.
People who have no sense of purpose can just bumble along in life moving from one thing to the next without it ever bothering them. They may be quite happy in themselves. For you who know you have a purpose bumbling along isn’t an option, to do so will leave you feeling frustrated.
If you’re feeling an inner frustration then perhaps that’s something you should pay more attention to. Your feelings could be telling you something. Could it be that you’re not fully living on purpose? If so, might this be the time to take action to get back on purpose? Sometimes it pays to take a bit of time out to ask yourself some honest and searching questions…
1. When did I first notice I was feeling frustrated about the direction my life was taking?
2. What was I doing at that time and what does that tell me?
3. When have I felt the strongest sense of inner peace about what I was doing with my life?
4. What is it that I feel I really should be doing with my life?
5. How can I reduce the amount of time and personal energy I give to non-purposeful activity?
6. How can I increase the amount of time and energy I invest into purposeful activity?
Sometimes you only need to change a few things in life to get back on track. I’ve met people who have given up watching TV to free up time for more meaningful things; started helping out at an inner city soup kitchen to do something useful for others; and others who stopped taking work home at weekends so they have more quality time with their family. All reported an increased sense of living with purpose.
Other times more radical action is needed to get you to that place where you feel you’re fully living with purpose. I’ve worked with others who have changed jobs, changed who they spent time with, moved to a different part of the country and even to a different part of the world in pursuit of their purpose.
I still remember one multi-millionaire I visited some years ago. After chatting one evening about our priorities and what to do with life he totally surprised me. Within a short time he sold his share of the company, gave his millions to charity and set off to help others more needy than himself in Africa. Sometime later he came up with a new idea of how to help these people using technology he had developed in his former business. He then set up a new company to make and install this technology which increased the quality of life for thousands of Africans. His life seemed to turn full circle, ending up back in charge of a business. However, this time it was focused on fulfilling his purpose to help people in a country he felt much compassion for.
I’m not saying you have to take such radical action; I am saying it’s worth asking yourself, “Am I truly living with purpose in my life?” If the answer is “yes”, great, I’d be interested to hear about it. If the answer is “no”, I’d still be just as interested but I’d encourage you to spend some time working through the six questions above. This should help you to work out where you are at, where you want to be, and get back to living with purpose.
Reading other blogs I’ve regularly come across people who say, “Your life purpose should be fun”. It’s natural to want life to be fun. Fun is enjoyable, fun is exciting, fun is energising, fun makes you feel better. To find a way of life that provides constant fun sounds ideal.
In recent years I’ve seen several books that say all you have to do is want something passionately enough and you can have it. Some call this, ‘The Law of Attraction’. If you want a fun-filled life (and who wouldn’t?) then the powers of the universe will work together to deliver it to you. This appeals to me. If I want more fun in my life all I need to do is visualise it and ask the powers of the universe to deliver it to me and I will have it.
However, I’ve been around long enough and met many who have tried to make this work for them but found they couldn’t. I’ve seen a problem with this. If you spend time visualising and asking but don’t get what you want then it implies something is wrong. If this truly is a universal law but you find it doesn’t work for you, where does that leave you? Could it be you’ve not followed all the rules properly and that’s why it’s not happening for you? Might it be your desire isn’t strong enough? Is there a fault in your visualisation? Or maybe the powers of the universe have placed you on the ‘not worth bothering with’ list.
A couple of years ago I met Dan Bradbury (a coach and entrepreneur) who wrote an article titled, ‘If The Secret Is So True Then Where’s My Ferrari?’ He argued that it’s good to have a desire and to visualise but you also need a plan and to make some effort if you want to see results. You can have more fun in life but it’s unlikely that you will magnetically attract it by just sitting on your backside and visualising it.
I’ve met many people in life who have given themselves to a cause. Sometimes the pursuit of their cause demands much from them. Healing sick animals is often a messy and almost thankless task. (Have you ever heard of a donkey who has turned around and said, “Thank you for tidying up my hooves”?) How about medical staff working in a hospice? They don’t naturally come to mind when I think of people seeking a fun-filled life. However, those I’ve met know they are doing something very purposeful. Helping vulnerable people at the end of their lives might not be fun but it can be very satisfying.
Fun exists for a moment – and then it is gone. Fun is a temporary pleasure. Once you’ve exhausted it you’re looking for the next fun fix. Work should be rewarding. What you give your time to should be fulfilling. I just can’t bring myself to promise you that outworking your purpose will result in your life being continually filled with fun.
Ongoing satisfaction on the other hand is something I believe you can experience. Satisfaction comes from doing what you know is worth doing – even if no-one else appreciates you for it. Satisfaction can be found within yourself. You’re not relying on something or someone else to make you happy as you would when you’re looking for fun. Satisfaction can be present when fun is absent.
If you’re seeking to live out a purposeful life you will experience satisfaction. I’m totally convinced of it. You may face challenges along the way. You may even be misunderstood. Sometimes the path you walk may feel a lonely one. However, if you are giving your life to something you feel is worthwhile you will experience an inner satisfaction and fulfilment that nothing else can give. You won’t need anybody else’s approval; the approval comes from within.
So in answer to my original question, “Should your life purpose be fun or satisfying?” I’ve reached the conclusion that here is no guarantee it will be fun, but I’m sure it will be satisfying. What’s been your experience?
Jul 11
28
I’ve just read a blog post on persevering in your purpose by Dr Mani, a guest writer on Yaro Starak’s blog. You can read the article at “Why some people succeed against all the odds“. Dr Mani is a heart surgeon who also has an internet-based information business he uses to help fund heart surgery for under-priviledged children. (That certainly sounds like a purpose worth living your life for.)
Without giving too much away, he outlines three key strategies for focusing in on purposeful work. Dr Mani recognises that challenges will come your way when trying to live out your purpose so he then gives five additional strategies for coping with the challenges that you may face. It’s a nice, thought-provoking and helpful post which provides practical guidance. One of the secrets of success Dr Mani points us towards is that of persevering in our purpose. Here’s the link again, ”Why some people succeed against all the odds“.
Jul 11
15
If you’re looking for a quick way to find your life purpose I’ve put together a new article to help you. Just click this link… 7 Quick Ways To Find Your Life Purpose.