Issue 37: Finding Purpose
THE LEAP
BY QUANTUM ORANGE
GROW, EXPAND & EVOLVE
ISSUE 37 | FINDING PURPOSE
Each week The (Quantum) Leap summarises a key aspect of success into what you need to Think, Feel and Do to create a personal shift.
THINK
Purpose.
It’s vital you have it.
It’s one of weightiest subjects in the personal development field…
…and it’s the one people seem to struggle with the most.
Why?
Because it’s elusive.
Amazon lists 151,928 books on the subject. Philosophical traditions, religious teachings and scientific advancements have all offered perspectives on life’s meaning and purpose.
Aristotle suggested the ultimate purpose of life is expressing the highest version of yourself moment to moment. The Stoics went a step further and advocated for the cultivation of certain virtues, like wisdom and courage.
Viktor Frankl talked about finding purpose by taking responsibility for ourselves and others and embracing each day as an opportunity listen to our truest self. The late Steve Jobs advised looking at ourselves in the mirror and asking, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And if the answer is ‘No’ for too many days in a row, you know you need to change something.”
Perhaps the most common problem we see is far too many people thinking of life purpose as something they need to meditate on a mountaintop to find.
In fact, purpose is something you need to actively create and cultivate. It’s the result of sense that you are spending your time well, that your challenges are meaningful and worthwhile. Therefore, discovering what you’re passionate about in life, what matters to you, is a full-contact sport, a trial-and-error process.
None of us know exactly how we’re going to feel about something until we actually do it. It’s a matter of trying things, of juggling what creates meaning for you with your expertise, your passion and your values. And of understanding that nothing will be pleasurable or uplifting all of the time, and so asking yourself what you are willing to struggle or sacrifice for.
Above all - be patient. Finding your purpose isn’t going to happen overnight.
Look within and ask yourself:
- Do I feel a sense of purpose in my life?
- If I were told that I would die in 5 years, and that I would be healthy and active until that moment, I would…
- If I had to give three messages to the people of the world which for me were the most important guidelines for them to live by, they would be…
- What difference do I want to have made?
- How can I use my talents, passions and values to serve, help or contribute?
FEEL
Viktor Frankl said, “The meaning of life is not asked, it is felt.”
If we do as he suggests and lean into our feelings, we can find great insight into our purpose.
Ask yourself:
- What am I like when I feel I am at my best?
- What matters most to me?
- What things in my life make me feel joyful?
- What things in my life make me feel bored or uninspired?
- In what moments in the past have I felt happy, fulfilled and alive?
- Why those moments?
DO
Research shows that being more purposeful decreases the likelihood of cognitive conflict, inflammation, depression, heart attack, stroke and burnout while allowing us to sleep better, manage disease better, repair our DNA, have better production of antibodies and make more money.
In short - it’s crucial we get on with living purposefully.
To live our ‘big’ life we need treat each day as if it might be our last. Consistently ask yourself the following reflection questions:
- How can I use my time in a way that feels important?
- How can I use my time well?
- Who are the key relationships in my life and how can I deepen them?
- What more can I do at work, at home and in my community to serve others?
- How am I becoming better each day?
- What would I do if I didn’t have my limiting beliefs? Where would I be now?
The answers to those questions will change with time. The key is not in the answer you get, but in consistently asking the questions.
Finally, remember that purpose is not permanent. Your external purpose will shift as you grow and change and that’s as it should be. Don’t go looking for something to do for the rest of your life - simply align yourself with your current purpose and you’ll experience a deep sense of fulfilment and inner peace.
