It's time to answer the call. The object of this blog post is to get you thinking about what your purpose might be. It may not always be clear in life, but there comes a time when it becomes undeniably important to find your purpose and pursue it with everything you have. This purpose will inspire and drive all aspects of your life, giving you a sense of fulfillment like nothing else can.
There is no shortage of purpose in the world. Many people have found purpose and continue to share it, reminding us that there is always something kind or generous we can do for others. It's time for you to answer the call too. You may not be sure where this purpose will come from at first, but once you find your purpose all aspects of life change because they're driven by a sense of fulfillment unlike anything else you've experienced before.
"Be who you were born to be. Follow the call of your dreams. See what you were born to see. Your magic is more than it seems." - The Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland
This post was created so that one might reflect on their purpose and how following it with conviction changes everything about life: responsibilities, relationships, success metrics - every aspect becomes more meaningful when pursuing purpose as opposed to just trying to "get through" life.
It's okay if you haven't completely figured out your purpose yet. Discovering your purpose is a constant pursuit of happiness. I watched the movie "Soul" with my 9-year-old cousin a few days ago. While she was enamored by the visual Pixar effects, I
couldn't help but appreciate the clever message that came across in it. The movie SOUL teaches us how our purpose is not our interests or occupations. Our purpose is simply to live. To live with purpose.
It's not an easy journey, but it can be done. Here are a few tips on how to find your purpose:
Understanding who we really are: The first step toward finding our purpose is knowing ourselves fully. We must understand what makes us tick; only then will we see patterns emerge from past actions of which are our true nature. Know that your purpose may not always be the most obvious choice.
Keep an open mind in life by living authentically. This will help you understand what makes you happy as opposed to trying to please everyone else or do something just because society says so.
Try new things! That spark of excitement when doing something different is the feeling we're looking for - pursue that first before anything else!
Take time out of every day (even 25 minutes) to reflect on this question: What would make me feel most fulfilled? Ask yourself who really needs you right now for you to achieve meaning? Who has been seeking your knowledge and unique characteristics?
Ask yourself what purpose you want to pursue in life. What is your goal?
Be Patient! There is no set time frame, but when it feels right or like something inside of you wants to explore more, when that feeling arises, go for it, and don't let anything stop your purpose!
Most importantly, have faith. Believe that your purpose is out there for you. It's waiting to be discovered and it's up to YOU to find it! - Look around at the people in your life who have purpose - compare them with yourself, what traits do these individuals share? How are they different from other people (yourself included)? Once you figure that out, you will be well on your way to a purpose filled life.
How did I find my purpose?
I personally have a deep-seated passion to write and teach. These things are what really invigorate my soul. I had been doing both of them my whole life without understanding how fulfilling they were to me. I’ve consistently been drawn to subjects like English, Language Arts, and Communication since I was a kid, which probably should have been my first clue. Not to mention the fact that I have journals and diaries that date back to when I was 7 years old. When it comes to writing, I have always found myself easily immersed. Whereas I assumed that my purpose was either basketball, modeling or even The Modelpreneur Bootcamp but I have come to realize that our purpose may not always be the most obvious choice. Our purpose is often rooted in those acts or activities that we resort to for comfort and release.
The Sankofa symbol, which is featured on the back of my neck, serves as a reminder that we ought not forget our roots. The meaning of Sankofa is "go back and get it." This is a symbol that happened to find me during my college life. It's meant for people who are always looking forward, never stopping to look at their past or evaluating the gifts they have been given to help them on their way. Ironically, I have it tattooed on the back of my neck where I cannot see it, yet it holds the most meaning to my life to this day.
Now, I encourage the clients of The Modelpreneur Bootcamp to lean into their innate strengths. If you had to pinpoint what it is that lights your fire when you are bathed in light and everything comes together for the first time, could it be a certain activity? What gets you into flow state?
What is flow state? Flow state is the mental state you enter when your brain becomes fully immersed in an activity. It is a trance-like feeling where time seems to move faster than usual, and everything else fades into obscurity. This happens when you are doing something that matches up with your purpose or skillset perfectly.
"If you are working on something that you really care about, you don't have to be pushed. The vision pulls you". -Steve Jobs
Imagine being so absorbed in what you’re doing that you don’t notice yourself getting hungry or tired. You are so involved that you don’t even realize the passage of time. This is flow state, and it happens when your purpose aligns with what you do best - whether you want to call this your purpose or not, but isn't it more fun to say "what I'm called to do"?
For more information on the infamous "flow state", check out this article The Psychology of Flow by Kendra Cherry. In this article Kendra delves deep into the inner workings of our mind when we reach flow state.
While it’s easy to say that purpose is created when you find the intersection of what you love and what you are good at, this can be a difficult task. According to Psychology Today , “finding your purpose in life may not be as straightforward as we imagine…in reality, purpose often requires years of trial-and-error." So cut yourself some slack! These things take time. Use this interim period to prepare yourself for the next level. Your experiences will help to ready you for when you finally step into the realization of your purpose.
A word of advice, when you do find your purpose don't let it go! You'll know once you've found it. It will come as an unshakeable faith that you have finally found that which you were always meant to do.
Will You Answer The Call?
For more information about finding purpose and fulfilling oneself, go to this page! For information on how I navigated my own journey please click this article! This provides an overview of my journey and offers advice on how others can find their own fulfillment with open minds while pursuing new things from time to time as well as taking the necessary steps needed each day that will lead them towards achieving their goals.
Share your thoughts about how finding one's purpose changed your life on social media using the hashtag #purposefound - I guarantee someone out there needs to hear that message today!
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