As children in my family, we were encouraged to find a purpose and focus on things that held our interest. We were taught that as as we grew older, our purpose(s) and interests would develop and mature with us. They did.
Increasingly, we hear a lot of people say that they are unhappy and feel unfulfilled. When one digs deeper, one usually discovers that those people lack a few things: positivity, confidence and a purpose in life.
Its vitally important that all humans have at least one thing that interests and stimulates them — careers, hobbies or activities that inspire and invigorate us.
A friend sent me this quote and it really makes a lot of sense — if one lacks something to do, they will almost always fall into bad and negative behaviors and habits:
“A life filled with silly social drama and gossip indicates that a person is disconnected from a life of purpose and lacking any meaningful goals. People on a positive path of purpose, don’t have time for petty gossip or drama.” – Author Unknown
But What To Do?
The one thing that often prevents people from having a purpose in life, is being unsure what it is they like to do or are in fact, good at doing. The good news is, everyone does have a purpose in life and even better, it doesn’t need to be something epic or “great.”
Finding our purpose often starts with identifying the things that make us smile inside and that give us something to look forward to. This can be anything from taking up art, volunteering at an animal shelter, reading to the elderly or raising a family — purpose is unique to each of us and the secret is to find and nurture those things that make us come alive.
I have a friend who loves to garden. She gardens constantly, outside and inside her home — she has plants everywhere and she really has the proverbial green thumb. Her purpose sprang from her passion — she read up on gardening, learned all about the various plants and flowers, took classes…you name it, she did it. Now, she has found her developed purpose, because she doesn’t just garden for herself and her family, she is now in charge of her town’s garden society, whose role is to beautify the entire town — she is thrilled and invigorated by this.
Today, commit to taking the time to look inward and identify your passions. Make a list of the things that inspire and encourage you and see how they can become your passions and purposes. Combine this with a desire to have a positive mind-set and soon, you will hopefully come to find that you’re too busy and upbeat to gossip or engage in drama.
