Post by Baruch on Nov 25, 2009 9:26:34 GMT -5
What do you consider as Life Purpose?
When the word “life purpose” is mentioned, our minds quickly go to people who are following a higher calling such as missionaries, doctors, lawyers, scientists, public health officers.
This is a wrong perspective because purposeful living could take limitless forms some of which you have never thought of them.
A purpose is an INTENTION or a RESOLUTION. So, a ‘life purpose’ is nothing more than a resolution or commitment to live in certain way to achieve specific objectives.
Realizing your life purpose is about creating, bit by bit, life circumstances that are TOTALLY suited to who you are, your likes and dislikes, natural talents, and much more.
A life purpose, in my own opinion, is realized by getting to KNOW your NATURAL SELF, exploring your natural talent [gift, flair, and aptitude] and interests, and choosing the best possible medium to share them in our world.
What is it that you are crazy about? What you don’t get bored doing it. What is your preference and fondness?
It took me years to discover my life purpose although my instinct and the happenings around my life pointed to it.
Discovering your life purpose should transform your boredom to passion, emptiness to fulfillment, aimlessness to focus and determination, failure to success.
But many of us don’t believe this because we see our present circumstances and conditions as a brick wall that we can’t break through and so must stuck in it forever. This was my problem as well.
If this is what you’re thinking right now, then you MUST change your mind right away to benefit from this book.
I ask you to set aside any feelings of doubt and hopelessness for now and be willing to accept wholeheartedly the insights that God revealed for us here.
Do you now believe you have a life purpose or that you can choose one?
Many of us have lived many years on earth without actually asking and answering the question “why am I created and what am I supposed to achieve in life”. Life goals could be financial, academic, marital, spiritual, professional, etc
How Do You Know If You Have a Life Purpose?
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” George Eliot
Have you tried one or two types of jobs, businesses, hobbies, interests, etc?
Have you ever felt bored with your life or job at one time or the other?
The desire to discover yourself persuades you to look at your life with new eyes.
Perhaps you will quickly discover new things you would like to learn or do.
Have you ever felt that you are lacking or slacking in some areas of your life?
Do you sometime feel that your time is running out?
Can YOU authoritatively answer these questions of life?
Why am I on this earth?
What do I want to have in life?
What do I want to be in this world?
What do I want to do with my life?
There are three categories of people when we talk of discovering ones life purpose and every individual belongs to one of three options which are:
The first category of people does not worry about whether they have an official purpose or not; they simply live their lives doing the things they feel drawn to.
The second category of people knows exactly what their purpose is, and they joyfully work at it each day to achieve it.
The third category of people has a feeling and believes they have a purpose but have no idea what it may be or how to find out.
However, I discovered that majority of the people around the world belong to either the first or third category.
Which group do you fall into? If you’re not sure if you do, consider the questions below:
• Have you ever felt like you were supposed to be doing more with your life?
• Have you ever yearned to use your natural talents to contribute to the world?
• Have you ever felt like your current or previous jobs didn’t use your talents fully?
• Do you ever feel like you are wasting time on things that aren’t important to you?
• Do you desire to serve others in a bigger way but don’t know how?
• Has your daily routine become predictable and boring?
• Have you ever wondered if “this is all what life could give”?
• Do you hunger for greater meaning in your work and other activities?
If you answered “yes” to most of those questions, you are probably ready to discover greater meaning and purpose in your own life – whether you see it as awakening a predestined purpose or choosing one you want.
Benefits of Living a Purposeful Life
In fact, you may be surprised to discover just how rewarding a purposeful life can be!
Here are just a few of the benefits:
• Greater focus on your daily activities – rather than feeling at a loose end.
• Increased discipline when it comes to productivity and achievement.
• Passion and motivation! When was the last time you felt excited about your day and a desire for a repeat of such a day?
• Personal empowerment – being in control of your own life in all ramifications.
• Meaning and fulfillment. Knowing that your life (and everything you do) matters.
• Energy and vitality! Purposeful living energizes your mind, body and spirit.
• Peace and contentment knowing you are exactly where you need to be.
I could go on and on, but these are probably the most notable benefits of living
a life of purpose. If you have never felt strengthened, empowered or fulfilled by your activities before, you have definitely not discovered your purpose yet (or chosen one that resonates with you). Once you do, every moment of your life takes on greater meaning and passion – rather than seeming pointless and boring.
How Do You Find Your Purpose?
“Learn what you are, and be such for it’s already within you.” Pindar
“Finding” your purpose is a misleading concept because it’s not something you have to go out and “get,” but rather something you need to turn within and claim. You have already got it – even if you haven’t consciously realized or chosen it yet.
Of course, whether you believe it is already within you or not, you still need to “find” it in some sense.
How do you do that? By looking in the most obvious places – your passions and interests.
Your purpose will always be something that:
• You feel passionate about
• You are naturally good at
• You already love to do
• Is important to you
Identifying Your Passions
“People of character do the right things, not because they think it will change the World but because they refuse to be changed by the World” Michael Josephson
Before you can discover your true life purpose, you need to uncover the evidences that lead to it. Namely, things you are good at, feel passionate about, love to do, and are important to you.
Take a look at the worksheets on the next pages and start filling in a few ideas for each of them. You don’t have to completely fill them.
In fact, you are looking for the most obvious answers here – even if there are only a handful of them in each category. Focus on things that have been a major part of your life or occupied your thoughts a lot - and it’s okay to have the same answers on multiple sheets.
Worksheet 1
Topics or Subjects I’m Passionate About
These would be topics or subjects you feel passionate about, like personal growth, education, arts and crafts, music, pets, spiritual development, business, poetry, etc. Anything you think about and enjoy quite often.
Worksheet 2
Activities I Love To Do
These would be tangible activities like sports, working out, painting, singing, writing, reading, cooking, research, and so on.
Worksheet 3
Things I Am Naturally Good At
On this sheet, list all of your best talents, skills and experience. Focus on actual activities that you do easily well, either because you’re naturally good at them or because you have a lot of experience on them.
Worksheet 4
Things That Are Important to Me
World events, situations, groups, causes, people, animals and more that are important to you. Focus on things that impact the world in general, not just things that pertain to your own life, your own family, or your immediate environment.
When the word “life purpose” is mentioned, our minds quickly go to people who are following a higher calling such as missionaries, doctors, lawyers, scientists, public health officers.
This is a wrong perspective because purposeful living could take limitless forms some of which you have never thought of them.
A purpose is an INTENTION or a RESOLUTION. So, a ‘life purpose’ is nothing more than a resolution or commitment to live in certain way to achieve specific objectives.
Realizing your life purpose is about creating, bit by bit, life circumstances that are TOTALLY suited to who you are, your likes and dislikes, natural talents, and much more.
A life purpose, in my own opinion, is realized by getting to KNOW your NATURAL SELF, exploring your natural talent [gift, flair, and aptitude] and interests, and choosing the best possible medium to share them in our world.
What is it that you are crazy about? What you don’t get bored doing it. What is your preference and fondness?
It took me years to discover my life purpose although my instinct and the happenings around my life pointed to it.
Discovering your life purpose should transform your boredom to passion, emptiness to fulfillment, aimlessness to focus and determination, failure to success.
But many of us don’t believe this because we see our present circumstances and conditions as a brick wall that we can’t break through and so must stuck in it forever. This was my problem as well.
If this is what you’re thinking right now, then you MUST change your mind right away to benefit from this book.
I ask you to set aside any feelings of doubt and hopelessness for now and be willing to accept wholeheartedly the insights that God revealed for us here.
Do you now believe you have a life purpose or that you can choose one?
Many of us have lived many years on earth without actually asking and answering the question “why am I created and what am I supposed to achieve in life”. Life goals could be financial, academic, marital, spiritual, professional, etc
How Do You Know If You Have a Life Purpose?
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” George Eliot
Have you tried one or two types of jobs, businesses, hobbies, interests, etc?
Have you ever felt bored with your life or job at one time or the other?
The desire to discover yourself persuades you to look at your life with new eyes.
Perhaps you will quickly discover new things you would like to learn or do.
Have you ever felt that you are lacking or slacking in some areas of your life?
Do you sometime feel that your time is running out?
Can YOU authoritatively answer these questions of life?
Why am I on this earth?
What do I want to have in life?
What do I want to be in this world?
What do I want to do with my life?
There are three categories of people when we talk of discovering ones life purpose and every individual belongs to one of three options which are:
The first category of people does not worry about whether they have an official purpose or not; they simply live their lives doing the things they feel drawn to.
The second category of people knows exactly what their purpose is, and they joyfully work at it each day to achieve it.
The third category of people has a feeling and believes they have a purpose but have no idea what it may be or how to find out.
However, I discovered that majority of the people around the world belong to either the first or third category.
Which group do you fall into? If you’re not sure if you do, consider the questions below:
• Have you ever felt like you were supposed to be doing more with your life?
• Have you ever yearned to use your natural talents to contribute to the world?
• Have you ever felt like your current or previous jobs didn’t use your talents fully?
• Do you ever feel like you are wasting time on things that aren’t important to you?
• Do you desire to serve others in a bigger way but don’t know how?
• Has your daily routine become predictable and boring?
• Have you ever wondered if “this is all what life could give”?
• Do you hunger for greater meaning in your work and other activities?
If you answered “yes” to most of those questions, you are probably ready to discover greater meaning and purpose in your own life – whether you see it as awakening a predestined purpose or choosing one you want.
Benefits of Living a Purposeful Life
In fact, you may be surprised to discover just how rewarding a purposeful life can be!
Here are just a few of the benefits:
• Greater focus on your daily activities – rather than feeling at a loose end.
• Increased discipline when it comes to productivity and achievement.
• Passion and motivation! When was the last time you felt excited about your day and a desire for a repeat of such a day?
• Personal empowerment – being in control of your own life in all ramifications.
• Meaning and fulfillment. Knowing that your life (and everything you do) matters.
• Energy and vitality! Purposeful living energizes your mind, body and spirit.
• Peace and contentment knowing you are exactly where you need to be.
I could go on and on, but these are probably the most notable benefits of living
a life of purpose. If you have never felt strengthened, empowered or fulfilled by your activities before, you have definitely not discovered your purpose yet (or chosen one that resonates with you). Once you do, every moment of your life takes on greater meaning and passion – rather than seeming pointless and boring.
How Do You Find Your Purpose?
“Learn what you are, and be such for it’s already within you.” Pindar
“Finding” your purpose is a misleading concept because it’s not something you have to go out and “get,” but rather something you need to turn within and claim. You have already got it – even if you haven’t consciously realized or chosen it yet.
Of course, whether you believe it is already within you or not, you still need to “find” it in some sense.
How do you do that? By looking in the most obvious places – your passions and interests.
Your purpose will always be something that:
• You feel passionate about
• You are naturally good at
• You already love to do
• Is important to you
Identifying Your Passions
“People of character do the right things, not because they think it will change the World but because they refuse to be changed by the World” Michael Josephson
Before you can discover your true life purpose, you need to uncover the evidences that lead to it. Namely, things you are good at, feel passionate about, love to do, and are important to you.
Take a look at the worksheets on the next pages and start filling in a few ideas for each of them. You don’t have to completely fill them.
In fact, you are looking for the most obvious answers here – even if there are only a handful of them in each category. Focus on things that have been a major part of your life or occupied your thoughts a lot - and it’s okay to have the same answers on multiple sheets.
Worksheet 1
Topics or Subjects I’m Passionate About
These would be topics or subjects you feel passionate about, like personal growth, education, arts and crafts, music, pets, spiritual development, business, poetry, etc. Anything you think about and enjoy quite often.
Worksheet 2
Activities I Love To Do
These would be tangible activities like sports, working out, painting, singing, writing, reading, cooking, research, and so on.
Worksheet 3
Things I Am Naturally Good At
On this sheet, list all of your best talents, skills and experience. Focus on actual activities that you do easily well, either because you’re naturally good at them or because you have a lot of experience on them.
Worksheet 4
Things That Are Important to Me
World events, situations, groups, causes, people, animals and more that are important to you. Focus on things that impact the world in general, not just things that pertain to your own life, your own family, or your immediate environment.