What’s your purpose and how to define it?
This is a quest which most of us pursue for years on end. Some people leave this world without finding out what their true purpose in life is. When I found out what my purpose in life really was, my life completely changed. Do you ask yourself what’s your purpose in life often? Have you ever? If you haven’t, I strongly suggest you start doing so. The sooner, the better. For you. For me. For all of us. This is not a question which entails an easy answer because it requires a certain level of self-awareness. However, it isn’t as difficult as it may seem. Let’s delve into what it is and how to find it. Or create it.
What is a Life Purpose?
Life purpose is the reason why you wake up and get out of bed every morning. It’s your life’s mission. It’s something that makes you feel extremely elated. Your purpose in life enlightens what you’re on earth for and how much of a difference your life makes to the people around you and the world at large. This is your “why”. I discovered my life purpose by profoundly studying myself. Not what others thought of me, not what others perceived I thought of myself, but what I truly am about. I discovered that it wasn’t enough for me to have an amazing life, but that I needed to contribute with others to have an amazing life as well. That’s why I became a Life Coach, specialised in personal development. It requires learning philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, mythology, business, history, just to name a few things I actively study on a daily basis. Most importantly, it requires a great deal of self-awareness.
I have undergone a process to find my purpose. If I managed to do that, you can most certainly do it as well.
But why we need a life purpose?
Well, your life purpose is precisely what makes you get up every morning. Imagine what it would feel like to wake up every morning excited to go to work and go to bed at night utterly fulfilled by the work you did. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Imagine what it would feel like to be inspired to excel as opposed to obliged to progress. This is what knowing your life purpose feels like. Knowing your life purpose is knowing exactly where your destination is, thus your only task in life is to enjoy building the road which leads you there. Moreover, the destination isn’t a place to arrive at, but a journey to undertake instead.
On the other hand, when you aren’t aware of your life purpose, you will consistently feel disenfranchised, discontent, anxious and even depressed. Nothing you do seems to light you up. Life, therefore, becomes joyless and meaningless. Why would you get out of bed if all you’ve got to do is make a whole bunch of assholes richer? Why would you give your best at work if you don’t see how yourself and the world around you benefit from the work you do? Why would you want to grow if growing means having more responsibilities and higher expectation imposed upon you, for a couple dollars an hour more in your pay-check?
Furthermore, when you have no purpose in life you are constantly resisting and fighting everyone and everything around you. Nothing seems to go your way. You can’t balance your personal and professional life. Your social affairs are quite fragile or co-dependant. You are always trying to reach for something which never truly satisfies you because you aren’t sure what it really does satisfy you. Most shockingly to me is that, many people achieve an enormous amount of success to anyone’s standards, but they don’t experience true fulfilment. I’m sure you know or know of people who are extremely well regarded in their field, make a lot of money, but are completely empty inside. This is because they don’t feel worthy of such success and fullness, after all most things don’t have value or meaning to them. Consequently, these people not only live a miserable life, but they also make the life of everyone around them as miserable and unhappy as their own.
Ikigai: Japanese secret to a long and happy life
Loosely translating it, Ikigai means reason to be. Iki means life or alive and Gai means benefit or worth. Combining these two words we end up with that which gives your life worth, meaning or purpose. The Japanese understand that we’re born with our own purpose. Thus, it’s of utmost importance to find out what it actually is, so we can turn it into a mission and carry it around like an insignia. Once we know what we’re here for, why our lives matter, we gain such a profound and insurmountable commitment that we become capable of facing whatever we come up against. There are countless examples of what a purposeful human being is able to endure throughout history. Thus, quite beyond of one’s imagination, finding meaning in life is key to riding oneself from hopelessness. Likewise, it’s a powerful therapeutic tool to deal with one of the most devastating mental illnesses of our time: depression.
Let’s take a look at how to find meaning in your life. Your Ikigai. You’ll begin by reflecting upon your own life in order to disengage your auto-pilot. Begin by asking yourself every day what exactly brings you genuine happiness. Recall moments in your life where you felt whole, you felt congruence with something bigger than yourself. What if you stopped wishing for what belongs to others? What if you stopped comparing the greeness of your grass to your neighbour’s. What if you stopped comparing yourself to others and started comparing yourself to whom you were yesterday? What is it that you’re talented at? Each and every one of us have an ability or talent which sets us apart, which makes us unique. What if you doubled down on such skill so you can enjoy the best it can offer? Have you heard of minimalism? To put it very simply, it’s the practice of understanding that most things are not necessary. Therefore, to find your purpose, you must let go of everything and everyone that fail to add value to your life. In other words, get rid of distractions. Independently to your age, gender or political affiliation, Ikigai is a state of mind. As such, it is quite the opposite of passivity, inaction, conformity. Therefore, it requires action, motion, movement. Moving your body and mind will make you feel alive and capable of great achievements.
As previously mentioned, finding a purpose or meaning in life requires a great deal of self-awareness. Thus, if you want to create and enjoy an extraordinary life, you will have to dive quite deep into yourself and find out your values, talents, desires and everything you can use to touch, transform, serve and contribute with your family, community and the whole world. Failing to contribute beyond yourself leads you to a self-centred, limited and selfish life. Quite contrary to the concept of having a higher purpose, a greater meaning for your existence.
WHAT YOUR GOOD AT?
Stop for a second and contemplate what you naturally excel in? Language, communication, analytics, hand-craft, physical activities, math, logical thinking? What do you do that when you do most people pay you compliments? How can you help someone with such talent? What can you do with such talent to contribute with a great number of people at the same time? This a good point to start finding your Ikigai.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE?
What do you love doing? What brings you joy? If money wasn’t a concern of yours, what would you spend most of your time doing? Would you take care of children? Would you spend time with your family? Would you want to teach things to the elderly? Would you like to guide people to achieve their dreams? Would you like to design gardens or would you prefer drawing portraits? Think of what you could do every day for the rest of your life. It doesn’t matter whether you’ll impact nobody’s life or the entire global population. Just go within, listen to what your heart tells when you ask “what do I love doing?”.
WHAT DOES THE WORLD NEED?
If you haven’t been able to find out what you’re really good at or what you really love doing, perhaps it would be a good idea to start out your journey from here. Look around you, notice what the people you can see are in most need for. what do they need? Is it food, affection, empathy, guidance, attention? How could you help them with what they need in small doses. If you start off by offering your time regularly, you will soon realise how much more you can do for yourself and for everyone around you.
WHAT CAN YOU BE PAID FOR?
What can you do that you really love, that you can get really good at, that the world needs and that still get paid for? If you find the answer to all these questions, just like me, you’ll be able to live off of your true passion. Your purpose. Helping people to develop and reach their full potential. Your contribution to yourself, your family, your community, and the world would be insurmountable. There’s plenty of evidence that this is possible. When you believe something is possible and you start working on it, it’s only a matter of time for it to become inevitable. If I made it, you most certainly can too!
Even with all this information if you can’t find your Ikigai, you don’t have to stress about it. You can also create it. Yes, that’s right. You can simply decide what impact you’d like to see happening in the world and go about making it happen. The decision of what you do is entirely yours. To conclude, we’ve seen throughout this article that finding a purpose in life is really important for you to decide a mission to embark upon. Something that will motivate you, that will drive you, that will give you a profound sense of meaning.
The way through which you will find your life purpose is something only you know, but if you need a little help, I can help you. Helping others finding their Ikigai is my life purpose. Through the various coaching packages I offer, you will not only find out your life purpose, but you’ll also learn productivity tools and strategies so you can create an extraordinary life.
