What is the WHY behind everything you do? Without purpose as the compass to guide you, your goals and action plans may not ultimately fulfill you. You don’t want to get to the top of the ladder only to find out you had the ladder leaning against the wrong wall. - Jack Canfield.
I have read this book so many times, but that final sentence gets me every time.
Have you ever found yourself committed to something that you never wanted to start in the first place and getting deeper and deeper in, until you can’t see your original dream?
I had a reading through a meditation just a few weeks ago and it hit the nail right on the head. “You are straining at work and lost your original focus.” BANG! Right between the eyes! Couldn’t have said it better myself and so I now find myself working my way back to my dreams. I have drifted off course for some time now and the longer you leave it the further off track you become.
I started a PhD because I was told that I would be a great candidate. That is NOT a good reason for starting such as huge commitment. I soon realised that I was living someone else’s idea of what my life should look like, not what I truly wanted, but then comes the BIG $6m question. What did I want? What is my purpose?
This is a difficult question for a lot of us as most of the time we are struggling to make ends meet, meet our obligations and commitments, get through the day without harming anyone! Yet there is much more to life than this and we all feel and know this deep down and hence why, when we are in this place, we feel overwhelmed, frustrated, angry or unfulfilled or all of the above. We are off track and the more off track we get, the more of those emotions stir up inside us. When we get to this place it becomes even harder now to work our way out as our brain is so confused and not able to focus, so around and around we go!
Relax. When we are in a relaxed state inspiration can come through and we are more able to be creative, imaginative and think outside of the box. Spend time in mindfulness practice such as walking and enjoying nature, not thinking about issues, concerns or what you are having for dinner! Appreciate being in nature and enjoying the sounds, smells and sights all around you. Marvel and be grateful for breathing fresh air, the blue sky, having the freedom to walk in nature.
Meditate regularly or just be more present. This means stilling the mind and thinking about nothing, allowing whatever is happening to unfold. The science behind meditation shows that when we can practice for even just 10 minutes a day there are tremendous benefits to our health.
Then if you need to find your purpose, think about what lights you up, really lights you up! That is a really strong indicator of where your passion lies. When we are living our life ON PURPOSE then we are in flow and everything is magic. Of course we can’t live like this all of the time as life is meant to be ebb and flow, but once you have found your purpose and focus most of your energy in the pursuit of that passion and purpose when the tide does ebb you are much more able to deal with it and work through it, instead of becoming stuck.
Write a personal mission statement. Mine has been for a long time now, and is on my LinkedIn profile, “To be the very best that I can be and help others to achieve the same.” As I read this the intent is right but the passion is not there. Use words that you find inspiring. I love passion, inspiration and grace. Incorporate these words into your personal mission statement so that you have your biggest WHY possible. When we are inspired and aligned to this statement then we are more likely to align with its intent.
My rewrite: To live a life of passion and purpose, to elevate myself to the highest version of myself and inspire others to do the same.
Now that has more impact for me and that is what we are wanting. Your personal mission statement must light you up, inspire you and excite you!
There is nothing more perfect than a day spent on purpose, pursuing your dreams and goals and aligning in every way with that purpose.
Take one step every day that takes you nearer to your purpose. Rome was not built in a day. If you aspire to write an international best selling novel, like me, then start with one blog at a time.
Change your mindset. You are not stuck in your present circumstances, you are transitioning to a different place, one that aligns more with your purpose. When we tell ourselves that we are stuck, we are, so tell yourself a new story, one that takes you in the right direction.
Do not put your ladder up against the wrong wall!
