Your Life Purpose is a Journey, Not A Destination

Finally, I’d like to share with you an article by Daniel Scott on the Entrepreneur website, “Nine Tips for Finding Your Life Purpose.” Scott is a co-founder and CEO of Spotlight Advisory Group, which helps entrepreneurs and creatives discover their life purpose and turn that into a sustainable enterprise that maximizes their impact on society and culture.

Scott has spent most of his life and professional career asking the question so many of us ask ourselves every day: “What does life purpose mean, and more importantly, how does one fulfill it?” He begins his article by giving us one of the best definitions of purpose that I have come across: “Since there is no other individual on the planet exactly like you that has the exact combination of nature and nurture, it seems obvious and logical that you must be capable of providing some value that nobody else is capable of providing. That unique value is your life purpose, the gift only you can deliver to the world and it is intrinsically tied to who you are as an individual.”  

Daniel Scott’s Nine Tips on Finding Purpose

1. Your life purpose is bigger than any solvable problem or circumstance.

This tip makes it clear that your life purpose cannot be solving a particular problem or be based on something that is finite and can end during your lifetime, such as finding a cure for a particular disease or helping get someone elected to public office. You should understand the difference between your life purpose and opportunities that fulfill your life purpose, because those can change over time.  

2. Your life purpose is a journey, not a destination. 

This concept helped me truly get a handle on what life purpose is all about. Scott explains it’s not something you will ever fully known or accomplish during your lifetime. He writes, “How do we design our lives and make the best choices that will lead to fulfilling our life purpose? The answer is that we work with the pieces of the puzzle that we have and follow life's clues. The remaining lessons are pieces to the puzzle that we all possess and can use.”

3. Play to your strengths.

You should capitalize on the natural talents and abilities you were born with. Even as you nurture those talents, you can still try to learn new things. But chances are you were born with the abilities you need to fulfill your life purpose.

4. Pursue your passions.

Immerse yourself in what you feel passionate about. Don’t fall into the trap of doing something that makes you unhappy. 

5. Do what makes you happy.

Many people believe achieving happiness is what gives meaning to their lives. If you live your life with purpose, you will experience joy and a sense of personal fulfillment. Robbins explains that the study of happiness, or Positive Psychology, ascribes five elements to well-being:

• Positive feelings

• Engagement

• Relationships

• Meaning or purpose

• Accomplishment 

6. Go where you are needed. 

Robbins states that opportunity is the most revealing clue to living your life purpose. He explains, “There is a need for you to fill that you must discover. Unfortunately, you do not get to decide where you are most needed. The opportunities you have in life are how the world tells you where you are needed. The trick is making sure that you choose the opportunities that best align with your talents, skills and passions.”

7. Focus on what you can control.

Robbins advises that the only thing in your life that you can control is yourself – you can’t even control the results of your actions. That means you must cultivate your mind, body and spirit to achieve your greatest potential. He concludes, “The path to living your purpose is paved with good intentions and continual self-improvement.”

8. Embrace your creativity.

Everyone possesses the ability to produce something that is original and valuable, which translates into creativity. While you may not necessarily be artistic, you have a unique lens through which you view the world, and your perspective can add value. 

9. Listen to your muse.

The creative process often comes to people unintentionally – it’s almost as if it is just there, or the impulse to create something comes to you. Robbins calls that your muse. He advises to get to know your muse and identify what it is saying through you. And when your muse speaks, you must listen.     

https://www.entrepreneur.com/living/9-tips-for-finding-your-life-purpose/387477