First of all, we need to know the meaning of purpose. People often ask questions like, what is my purpose in life? Or how do I find my purpose?
Well, a purpose is not like an equation or puzzle you find difficult to solve. Your purpose is the goal or dream that pushes you to do more or the activity that brings you long-term happiness and fulfillment.
A purpose is like a compass that directs your goals towards finding that which you were created for
If you want to find your purpose in life, you must first find that one thing that makes you happy. That one thing that makes you want to live and most especially that which makes you feel fulfilled.
Although no one comes into this world without a purpose, some people may find it hard to identify and understand theirs. But by self-reflection and finding our passions, we can pursue and get to know what we are truly here for and set goals to achieve them.
Career Vs. Purpose
Your career choice isn’t always where your purpose in life lies. Some people may discover their passion is to care for people and then choose to study medicine because they’ve been told that it’s a lucrative field and close to their passion.
But in the long run, you might not find happiness in the job, especially if you can’t handle some of the disadvantages that come with the profession.
see also: how to make the right career choice
In some cases, you may be working a nine-to-five job to handle your financial needs. Still, when you look deep down, you realize that you’re not happy with the job, and there’s always this void when you’re at it and feel that there’s something else you would actually enjoy doing.
Sometimes when you think about the things you’re good at, the satisfaction, inner peace, and the sense of fulfillment you get from them, that’s where your purpose lie.
That being said, there are other instances where career blends with purpose.
What you choose to study in school might not necessarily be your purpose. However, if you find yourself in such a situation, you might want to make the most out of it by exploring how it aligns with your passion.
For instance, you can be passionate about teaching or writing and still study medicine in school. But while you might not derive pleasure as a medical doctor even though it pays your bills, you might find happiness giving lectures to upcoming medical practitioners and sharing your knowledge with other colleagues.
You might even take up a teaching job and put your heart and soul into making sure your students understand what topic and sometimes even skip your meals while you’re at it. But this doesn’t mean you can’t keep both jobs. You can keep the teaching gig as a side hustle and still show up to the job that pays the bills.
Steps to finding your purpose in life
Trying out new things
By trying out different things and exploring new techniques to solve everyday problems, you may never know when inspiration will strike, and you’ll find your passion in the most unexpected things.
You need to move out of your comfort zone and start thinking outside the box to uncover your purpose in life. Many of us may be discouraged after one or two trials, but why give up today when tomorrow might just be your day?
Volunteering
You can also get to know your life’s purpose by volunteering, lending a helping hand, and caring for the needy and orphans in your community. Some even find happiness and fulfillment by assisting widows and the poor people in the church or place of worship. There are tons of charity organizations and NGOs that you can donate your time or money to help champion their cause.
Read: importance of almsgiving
Surround yourself with positive thinkers
When you’re with good people who think smartly and positively, you’ll see yourself doing extraordinary stuff that you didn’t initially think you could ever do. What do you and the people around you share in common? What kind of conversations do you usually have when you’re around them?
Don’t be easily influenced by your coursemates, coworkers, or family members. Instead, be concerned about the company you keep outside work or family functions.
The people you relate with daily matter a lot, and it often defines your personality and thought patterns. Like the bible says, “Evil communication corrupts good manners.” It’s hard to excel or find your passion when you only surround yourself with negative thinkers because they have nothing positive to contribute.
Making New Friends And Starting A Conversation.
You may find it easier to stick to your phone in public places than to start a conversation with a total stranger. Shake off that feeling and make it a habit to talk to new people wherever you find yourself. Strike up a conversation with them and get to know their personality, areas of specialization, upcoming projects, and what they do with their leisure time
Knowing more about them will expose you to new things that might interest you, and that might just be the help you need to find your purpose.
Four 4 P’s in finding your purpose in life
Praise
First of all, you must learn how to appreciate God, praise Him and ask Him to direct you. Tell Him to speak in the language you would understand and show you the reason for your existence.
Planning
You would agree with me that planning is very essential. For God to be fully involved and intervene, you must make an effort to plan towards discovering your purpose in life. You can’t say you are a carpenter without knowing the basics of carpentry or having – at the very least – the essential tools such as hammers, nails, saws, and the rest.
See also: financial planning for an unknown future
Pursuit
Pursue without looking back until your purpose in life is known. Do not stray out of your tracks. Try and try again until you get answers. After praising, do not sit down and wait and maybe look for a bible passage to back up your laziness; instead, plan, strategize and pursue your goals. If you do not get it right the first time, your second attempt will be better.
Perseverance
Do not despair, do not give up on hope. Normalize being patient and positive as well. After praising, planning, pursuing, then we can wait patiently for results. The bible says, ‘when you build on a solid rock, it shall never be shaken.’ So do not rest until you are satisfied. Set your goals well, and you will see good results in the end.
Ten questions to help you find your purpose in life
- What are my talents – what are those innate skills that allow me to carry out certain activities with little or no prior training.
- How can I utilize this skill to provide the greatest value to those around me?
- One or two years from now, when I look back at this very moment, what do I want to be most proud of?
- What would I do today if I’m fully convinced that my actions will benefit those around me and not just myself?
- What idea or inspiration keeps tugging my heart when I’m idle that would expand and change my future?
- What areas am I allowing the fear of failing or being inadequate to limit me from pursuing the vision?
- Who will hurt the most if I don’t commit to a purpose that is nobler than my pride; a cause greater than my fear
- What would I do in the next 24 hours if I had all the resources to be happy and fulfilled?
- If I make the conscious effort to do that every day in between for the next one year, how would I feel about myself?
- Who can I rely on or call on to support me in living my dreams more consistently, more bravely?
Conclusion
Finding your purpose in life is not an easy journey, and you may not get it right on the first attempt. The only way to succeed in this journey is by being consistent and opening your mind to new ideas. One sure way to lose hope in discovering your purpose is to limit your abilities to think outside the box.
We hope these steps will lead you in the right direction and help you discover what you’ve been lacking in your life. Don’t forget to share your journey in the comments section and what enabled you to discover yours, as it may help someone struggling with this same challenge. Cheers!
