What Is Your Life’s Purpose?

Our lives have become fast, way too fast. It is like we are pushing just within the allowable limits. Some have paid with their lives. I know of at least a couple of ‘under 40’ guys who’ve made met with the proverbial bucket sooner than they expected to.

And all because they ran faster than they were capable of. They drove at 100 mph in a 30 mph zone…and crashed!

Ambition to earn more money or climb to the highest echelons of the corporate ladder was their motivation. The ‘gold’ and ‘platinum’ loyalty cards were more alluring than life itself. In their ‘gold’ rush, everything else was sacrificed – including family and health.

This got me thinking about many things. We ignore who we are and become very busy working what you are. Unfortunately, by the time we are getting into out adult phase, our minds are already hard-wired to respond to external pressure and influences. But this doesn’t mean that you have to spend your life in panic mode.

This accelerated my already urgent need to pin down my ‘why’. In the speed of life, we tend to lose focus or keep track of our life’s purpose. Now, your purpose isn’t to be confused with your career. This is because your purpose should drive your career and not the other way around.

Why is personal purpose of any significance for you? Here are five reasons:

  1. Purpose gives you reason for living… “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
  2. Purpose helps you to have meaning and excel… “If you hang out with chickens, you’re going to cluck and if you hang out with eagles, you’re going to fly.” ~ Steve Maraboli
  3. Purpose yields a legacy, that which lives long after you are gone… “Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” ~ Shannon L. Alder
  4. Purpose gives other people a hope and direction… “Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” ~Rumi
  5. Purpose keeps you anchored on what matters most… “To live only for some future goal is shallow. It’s the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top.” ~ Robert M. Pirsig

You life purpose responds to the question: “Why do I exist?” To find your true purpose in life, you have to move away from ego. Ego is a sense of entitlement, not service. It clouds your minds and skews your action.

If you are still unsure of your life purpose, take time to respond to the following questions:

  1. What is that ‘thing’ that you will pursue it whether you are feeling motivated or not?
  2. If you were to die today, what would be your greatest regret be?
  3. What call for help do people commonly approach you with?
  4. Without it, would you continue smiling?
  5. What are you naturally gifted with?

Have you found your life purpose? Click here share your purpose or journey to find that purpose in the comments below. 

photo credit: symphony of love via photopin cc

Useful link: ‘How to Find Your Life Purpose: An Unconventional Approach’ by Leo Babauta

Board Chair • Certified Coach • Strategy Advisor • Communication Specialist • Authentic Leadership • Speaker

My mission is to co-create a world of hope, connection and excellence through coaching, leadership, strategy and thoughtful communication. Partnering with motivated but overwhelmed individuals and teams, I help you to regain your purpose to lead your personal (life) or business brand so you can effectively focus on building your growth and legacy.

As a Certified Professional Coach, International Coaching Federation Member, Clarity4D Accredited Business Partner, Strategic Planning Consultant and Communication & Branding Specialist, I bring over 23 years of unique experience and competence that enriches your portfolio and growth.

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Categories: LEADERSHIP, PRODUCTIVITY, RESOURCES
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5 thoughts on “What Is Your Life’s Purpose?”

  1. Kimunya, I really enjoy reading your posts and this one is one of the best. Recently Darren Hardy, Editor of Success Magazine in his Morning Mentor blog he coached a challenge to his listeners to think about this quote: Never let those things that matter the least get in the way of those things that matter the most. Here is the post http://www.darrendaily.com/3-things/

    My three are Family/Faith – Financial Security – Health

    Keep up the good work.

    Reply

  2. What a thought-provoking quote that it. It sums up this article in the most poetic way too. You are very right. We have become a society of more, more, more… As I write these series, I am also asking myself the most difficult questions. One of those is: “How do I give up what I need to delegate?” It’s a difficult question for a Type A person, isn’t it?

    I love your purpose. In my next pose, we shall explore how purpose affects vision…

    Reply