We all have a purpose
This is a big and sensitive topic which I will write about again. I decided to base this first post on a video that I saw for the first time a couple of years ago and that I have watched again and again as a motivation and reminder of the important messages it carries.
So what does “we all have a purpose” mean?
Did you ever question what fires your soul? Or what it means that someone is working in its passion instead of its career? We all have a unique and innate talent that makes us who we are. Having a talent means that you have an overdeveloped skill, vision or idea that allows you to reach or think differently than others. That allows you to be a visionary in a specific area of life. The truth is, as this video says, that many times a “person doesn’t have a dream but that dream has them”! This is because when you have something that you are good at, you have more pleasure doing it and so you naturally nurture it more. Not only making it your path or what you think is your dream, but making it even bigger than that: your purpose!
How can I live my purpose?
At the end of the day you will live a life with purpose if you are YOU. Your authentic full out version of you. So, don’t get discouraged by doubts or fears that are there to fool you. What happens to many people, especially early in their careers, is that they follow a path that was in a way "designed for them". Might it be because of their education or society itself, they are basing their decisions on what they see outside instead of looking inwards at their innate talents, at their hobbies and passions. Just know that you are the person who knows best. Therefore, trust your intuition and don’t ask for approval because sometimes, out of protection, people around you aren’t always able to advise you on what is best for you. They are NOT you.
I learned this the hard way. I followed a path I thought I was meant to and took my first job in investment banking. Not only was it completely lacking of purpose to me and making me wake up every day unhappy but it coincided with a time in which my family was going through a big change. My mom had been diagnosed with cancer and that suddenly shifted my perception of everything. I was faced with the fact that my mom might not be there in the next months and that made me question why I had taken that job in London in the first place. Was London really the city I wanted to be in? And was this the job that I actually wanted to do at least for the next year of my life? No. This is when I realised that I was somehow following a career that I thought was meant for me rather than listening to my heart. That I should take decisions for myself and not expect any recognition in return. Instead, we should the decisions that make us happy. And the funny thing is: if you are happy, people who love you will eventually be too no matter what choice you made!
Should I know my exact purpose already?
Your dream or purpose doesn’t have to be clear right away because life has its own ways of getting us there and your dreams might evolve and change. It is hard to predict exactly what you will have created at 60 years-old when you are only 16 but you can definitely start aiming at that in big lines. In fact, it is important to imagine and visualize it so that your dream becomes more clear and so that it gains space energetically to grow. Because ultimately, you are the creator of your own reality with your thoughts. The universe gives you what you want: it is called the law of attraction.
The bottom line is that you feel connected and are true to you at all times. Because life might reward you for being in that creative frequency but might also shake you off to put you on the right path, to help you grow.
Start taking action towards what you love
I hope this video inspires you as much as it inspires me. There hasn’t been a single time I have watched it and that a voice deep inside me lightens up, a fire to do more. There was a time in which I would constrain myself however. A time in which I would be immobilised by fear. But each time I took action, life rewarded me in a different and beautiful amount of ways: maybe it was finding the right partner that sparked this in me further, receiving encouraging messages from others, getting a new job opportunity in line with that dream or simply feeling a deep satisfaction within.
Therefore, I will encourage you whole heartedly to take action yourself! Towards what calls you, towards spending more time doing the things you love! Because being successful at what we love is only difficult because of the barriers we put ourselves... and how wonderful would it be to live a life full of rewarding, courageous and fulfilling moments over soulless achievements and regrets?
But what about my fears?
If you listen to what your heart tells you when you think about what you would like to do today if money wasn’t a problem, you might be stuck out of fear.
I was. When I first went to a coaching seminar when I was 15 and wrote down that I wanted to help others living a more happy, healthy and fulfilling life (coaching) I was so excited but at the same time panicked because "how the hell would I do that?" What did that mean? How would I get there? Coming from a rather strict and conventional education I ended up in banking and finance instead. When I faced the realization again that what I wanted was coaching and that my present career wasn’t fulfilling me, the transition wasn’t immediate but I slowly took the steps towards it: by doing business management consulting which, was a form of coaching and helping businesses, to working in health and wellness startups that had a mission close to my heart, to finally taking a certification in coaching and starting to coach myself!
So, do not give up if you feel your answer to this question is far from your reality today. Again, these are your own barriers because there are always smalls steps we can take to get there. And why not start today? :)
Also, don’t be afraid to follow the tiny urges of what new sport you would love to try or what new country you would like to visit. They will be making you more yourself and hence closer to what you desire.
So, how should I start?
Like I said, living with purpose will depend on you:
Questioning whether what you are doing truly makes you happy and hearing the answer with your heart
Being the most authentic version of yourself: dress, speak, draw, write or dance your truth.
Not being afraid of fitting out. Let your differences shine.
Taking time to nurture activities that make you curious and meditating on what you love to do
Having fun dreaming & visualizing so you can energetically attract what you want
Facing your fears because the biggest achievements and lessons will come from there
Seeing all the amazing dream possibilities you can have in this world and all the thousand different ways of getting there
Taking small steps towards your dreams and rewarding yourself for this :)
