Have you been running after the carrot of success that society has dangled before you and been left with a craving for more meaning in your life? Do you want to have a positive effect upon the world but don't know how? Then it is time to turn inward and reconnect with what gives you joy and find your true purpose. Now that winter in closing in upon us, this is the perfect time of year to cocoon and do some soul searching.
There is a simple formula: passion + purpose = fulfillment. Many people get stumped by the first word. Passion is often equated with a blazing fire of desire which often quickly burns out. But true passion might best be described as a pilot light that is eternally burning deep within. One way to discover your passion is to think back on your childhood. For children, expressing innate gifts isn't a conscious choice; it just happens. What were your happiest moments? What were your favorite pastimes? What activities would you become so immersed in that you lost all sense of time? You might also look at your young adulthood and current life. What totally energizes you? At the end of the day, what leaves you with a sense of contentment and accomplishment? When do you feel the most you? These are all clues to your true passions that are waiting to be reignited inside you.
Once you have identified your passions, your purpose is found in how you bring those innate gifts out into the world. In the depleting rainforests of our planet, scientists are still discovering plants with distinctive properties that heal troubling illnesses. Similarly, you are a totally unique creation and have potentials within you that can be an antidote to what ails the world. That is your purpose; discovering your potentials, clarifying and strengthening your innate gifts, and passionately manifesting them. That is the path to a blessed and engaged life which will give you a deep sense of fulfillment and joy.
As a child, my happiest moments were wandering through the woods and creating adventures with friends. Throughout my adult life, my most therapeutic and inspirational moments came when taking long solitary walks on the beach. And still on those special occasions when I am fortunate to come upon some wildlife in their natural habitat, I feel the absolute joy of a child. Sharing these experiences with others quadruples my happiness. So in my second adulthood, I was fortunate to discover my niche as a Life Coach and Retreat Leader. I'm known as the “walk and talk” coach. In addition to the traditional phone coaching, I meet my local clients at a nearby nature trail, and we put motion to their thoughts and feelings as we walk and talk in the open space. On my retreats, I like to gift people with some solitary time in nature to heal and find their inner voice. My passion for nature has merged with my need to connect with others. My purpose has become to help people find their purpose.
The beauty of finding your purpose in life is that by becoming a more complete expression of yourself you can help heal the world.