After hanging out with some friends a couple days ago, it made me realize that far to many people live life aimlessly. You don’t have to know everything or have it all planned out but there is value in having a direction. Many people become adults and realize they no longer are being guided in life, and don’t do much to actively better themselves.
Embrace Your Fire Inside
Your purpose or what I like to call the fire inside that drives you, is your ultimate why. It’s the reason you work everyday, the reason you get out of bed, it’s what fires you up! All in all it’s your personal mission statement. You don’t have to be a business owner to live with a purpose or something that drives you. For instance, you may work to make money to survive, acquire financial freedom, or to have a nice car, clothes or experiences. Your why should be deeper than those reasons. Discovering your purpose is digging deep, being self aware and living up to your optimal skills. We all have a purpose in our relationships, work, community etc, we just need to discover it.
My Story
I discovered my why after doing some major self exploration in my early twenties. I considered myself fairly self aware and confident growing up. However, after I graduated college in 2015, I realized I was dealing with imposter syndrome. Most of my life up until that point, was spent doing and living the way I thought people assumed I should. Meanwhile, I was secretly doubting it all.
2015 was a rough year for me. I was dealing with the loss of my aunt and uncle, who were like parental figures. I broke up with the guy I thought I would marry one day, and my college best friend and I stopped speaking. To say the least, it felt like my life was losing purpose. I stopped looking forward to my future and felt lost. After spending my post grad summer down and out, in September of that year, I vowed to myself that I would intentionally spend time getting to know myself and actively rebuilding myself into the woman I always dreamt of being.
During this exploration time in my life, I realized what drove me. I listened to a lot of Evan Carmichael videos (his channel is incredible, I still listen to his videos everyday) Here’s my why statement:
To facilitate positive change, and enlighten others by inspiring them to embrace the fire inside themselves.
I aim to find ways to live up to that statement every single day. My purpose is what drove me into the marketing communications field. Even though the thought of public speaking gives me butterflies and knots in my stomach, I was sure that my voice was one of the main ways I can serve others and help people maximize their time on Earth.
Find Your Why Exercise
If you can in this moment, open up a blank document or grab a sheet of paper.
Write down or copy and paste the following questions:
1. What would I do for free everyday? What would a perfect day look like for me?
2. What do I you value in life?
3. What are the top things in my life that made me feel happy, excited, and fulfilled?
4. What qualities do I love most about myself? What are my innate strengths?
To get the most out of this exercise, set aside at least 30 minutes or more to answer these questions. Reflect on the answers and look for patterns. These patterns will lead you to your life’s purpose/fire inside. Without a defined purpose, you’ll find yourself quitting things more often than not. 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.
Still unsure about your purpose? Contact me, I’m happy to help.