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This is Your Life

 Life Purpose, Personal Development, Success  No Responses »
Mar 052013
 

This is your life. A short four word sentence, but a powerful one. This sentence was the name of a popular TV show which aired from 1952 to

This is your life

Flikr usr joeinsouthernca CC Attr. Lic.

1961. The TV “This is your Life” was a kind of visual scrapbook for a celebrity featured as a surprise guest. People and photos from the past brought into sharp focus in a very public way the guest’s life history. Interesting to watch and entertaining, but a scrapbook of life is not what I  have in mind now.

This is Your Life

I’m thinking of this simple sentence of four words and the powerful meaning it can have when I allow myself to focus and reflect on it. Depending on which of the four words I emphasize, the meaning subtly shifts.

When I emphasize the sentence this way: THIS is your life, my focus plants me firmly in the present. This, what I’m experiencing right now is my life. It’s the only life I have. This present moment of now. I must live it completely—it’s gone in a flash.

When I put my emphasis on the second word, This IS your life, the meaning shifts somewhat—still in the present—but also pointing out the reality of what IS right now, the totality of my life at the present time IS my life. This is it. The unique combination of experiences, wisdom, and learnings has coalesced to become my life as I now know it.

Live Your Life

You know what’s coming next, This is YOUR life. Now the focus shifts somewhat, building on the first two focal points and adding the reality that the life I’m living is mine and mine alone. It’s uniquely me and uniquely mine to craft—consciously or subconsciously—in new directions. I can choose new experiences, learn new skills, take on new interests, or continue the status quo; it’s my life to do with as I please.

Finally, the accumulation of all the above, the fourth word, LIFE. This is your LIFE, subtly shifting focus to the finite, temporary nature of the experiences we call being alive. Life is finite, its duration unknown to me. This LIFE is what I own, and it’s really the only thing I own, even though I claim to own property, things, abilities, and even relationships. But when it’s over, it’s over, and all the stuff I thought I owned turns out to have been loaned to me.

This is Your Life, a Powerful Quote about Life

To me, the simple sentence, This is your life, reminds me that it’s mine to enjoy, to celebrate, to craft and re-create in any fashion I see fit, including all the good and bad experiences that make up what we call life. It’s mine, I own it, I choose it, and I’ve chosen everything about it, whether I am aware of this or not.

If I’m not happy with it, I can change it. If I am happy with it, I can do more of the same or seek even more avenues of experience. It’s mine. I own it.

This is, indeed, my life.

To make the most of your life, find your life purpose and then live it fully and completely. Nothing is more satisfying than feeling the meaning and purpose of daily living. What is Life all About? How do I Find my Purpose? will get you started on the path of living fully.

Books from Personal Growth Resources

What is Life all About? How do I Find my Purpose? is the latest in the Personal Growth Resources series of personal growth books. Other books in the series include:

Watch for future articles on this site. Better yet, Subscribe to Your Purposeful Growth Update by email.

Jerry Lopper – Personal Growth Resources

Build your life on a foundation of purpose

 

What is Life all About?

 Life Purpose, Personal Development  No Responses »
Jul 242012
 

Do you ever ask this question: What is life all about?

I have and you probably have too. For me, and you too I believe, life is all about finding your life purpose and living it.  The experiences of life we go through on the journey through life, culminating at some point in the clarity of living our purpose for being, is what life is all about.

How do you find your purpose?

What is life all about? How do I find my purpose? These two questions, which most—if not all—of us ask form the title of my newest eBook. The remainder of the title, 12 Paths to Find the Meaning of Life provides the answers.

Though I can’t possibly know the purpose of your life, my book lays out twelve straightforward paths—options if you will—that can help you on your personal journey of purpose. If finding your purpose has eluded you thus far, or if you’ve abandoned all hopes of living a meaningful, purposeful life, one or more of these paths are sure to be right for you.

Finding your purpose isn’t easy because the layers of “shoulds,” don’ts,” and “ought-tos” we accumulate over the years can mask the clear purpose intention of birth. The self-reflective processes necessary to penetrate to the heart of your inner wisdom can be gut-wrenchingly difficult.

Aah, but the rewards of feeling the true you, of knowing why you exist, and of enjoying who you are, are well worth it.

What is Life all About? How do I Find my Purpose? identifies the benefits of finding purpose, describes the importance of making the distinction between what you do and who you are, and shows you a fail-safe, always-true indicator that will help you align with purpose and stay there.

I’ve included examples and exercises for each of the twelve paths to purpose, and offer references and other resources to help you on your journey.

What is Life all About? How do I Find my Purpose? is now available on Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle app on other readers. It’s also available at my distributor, Smashwords, in every popular format, for your iPad, Nook, Sony, Kobo, pc, mac, and other readers, as well as Kindle. Follow the links for more information and to sample What is Life all About? How do I Find my Purpose?.

What is Life all About? How do I Find my Purpose? is the latest in the Personal Growth Resources  series of personal growth books. Other books in the series include The Happiness Workbook: Take Control of Your Happiness – Dozens of Proven Ways to be Happier, , Sample Personal Development Plan and Workbook, and 5 Keys to Balancing Work and Life: Get Back to Basics and Balance Your Life.

Watch for future articles on this site. Better yet, Subscribe to Your Purposeful Growth Update by email.

Jerry Lopper – Personal Growth Resources

Build your life on a foundation of purpose

Feedback Please

 Life Purpose, Personal Development  10 Responses »
Jul 142012
 

Feedback is crucial to a writer. What is clear to me may not be clear to others. When I describe the important difference being vs. doing plays in finding one’s life purpose, how do I know if other people “get it?”

Well, obviously I don’t, unless I get their feedback.

Finding your life purpose is crucial to living a happy life, to finding fulfillment and satisfaction. Purpose keeps you centered when life’s unexpected but perfectly normal circumstances intercede.

Though I’m passionate about personal growth and development in general, purpose in life—finding it and living it—is at the top of my list. The eBook I’m working on is very important to me as it captures the essence of what I’ve come to understand about how one finds purpose in life.

In the book I describe twelve paths to finding life purpose. I’ve used each path myself, and found that each has benefits, though some were more effective and helpful to me than others. I suspect the process of finding purpose is most effective when we utilize multiple paths or processes over time to solidify the insights we reach.

I’d like your feedback on the cover I’ve chosen.

  1. If you were searching an online bookstore such as Amazon, for a book about life purpose, would this cover interest you?
  2. Are the questions on the cover questions you’ve asked too?
  3. Would you consider purchasing this book? Though the price hasn’t yet been set, assume a max of $4.99.
  4. Would you review this book in exchange for a free copy?

Please provide your feedback either in comments or by private email to jerry@purposefulgrowth.com.

 

 

Here’s the latest version with an orange horizontal line to help differentiate this cover from the Sample Personal Development Plan and Workbook cover. A small change, but I wanted to retain similar imagery among the books in my series (so far only two) to establish a brand image.

12 Ways to Discover Life Purpose

 Life Purpose, Personal Development  6 Responses »
Jun 202012
 

I’m beginning to put together my eBook on finding your life purpose. Through the years I’ve found and developed various means for stimulating the self-reflection necessary to gain clarity of purpose in life.

I’ve narrowed this down to twelve processes as I begin the book, though this could go up or down a couple as I progress and revise.

I’ve narrowed down the title options after doing some research on existing books at Amazon and Smashwords, but this is still not finalized. The title of this quick post will likely be a subtitle of the book.

The book will focus on two or three basic concepts of purpose that are fundamental and critical to the process, yet mostly misunderstood or overlooked.

With this basis in place, I’ll offer the 12 or so different, but complementary processes one can use to gain clarity of the unique purpose in life for which they came to physical existence.

The fundamentals and 12 processes will be useful to those who believe in spirituality, a higher power by any name, as well as agnostics and atheists.

I solicit and welcome your comments on such a book.

  • What books have you read that have been helpful to you in your quest for life purpose?
  • What aspects of discovering your life purpose are most difficult for you?
  • What insights have been most helpful to you?
  • Would you consent to be an early reviewer of my book?

Jerry

 

Find the Meaning of Your Life – Ask Those Who Know You Well

 Life Purpose, Personal Development  No Responses »
May 212012
 

Close Friends May Know the Meaning of Your Life

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Friends

Flikr.com Nisa Yeh, CC Attr. Lic.

Still looking for the meaning of your life? Wondering if you really have a purpose and if you do how you’ll ever locate it? Let me assure you, you do have a unique purpose in life. Your purpose has been “wired-in” since birth, awaiting your discovery of its clarity and brilliance. Part of the adventure and fun (and frustration) of life is finding your way through the maze of confusion to clarity of your purpose.

For the basics of finding life purpose, read Take the Mystery Out of Finding Your Life Purpose.

The process of today’s article begins with your close friends and family—those who know you really well. Focus on those who know and love you, those few people with whom you have a special bond. If they’re nearby, meet personally somewhere where you won’t be rushed and you can speak openly.

Close Friends Know the Real You

You might begin with something such as, “I’ve been spending a lot of time lately pondering my life, who I am, what my life is all about, what my purpose in life might be.” Since you know me so well I feel certain you have insights about me that might shed light on my life purpose.”

At this point your companion may be overwhelmed by the responsibility of describing something as personal and intimate as life purpose, so provide your assurance that “I don’t expect you to define my exact life purpose, but I’m hoping you’ll share some insights that will help me find it” You can guide their recollections with specific questions, such as:

  • “Tell me about some times you’ve observed me being my very best.”
  • “What do you think is my greatest strength?”
  • “If you had to describe who I am with a few short phrases, what would they be?’
  • “Tell me about a time when you’ve seen me light up with energy and ability.”
  • “What strength or characteristic of mine do you depend on me to provide?”

Your companion may not be able to answer all these questions, but anyone close to you will have some answers. You’ll probably want to discuss each response, asking for more detail, more specifics, circumstances, anything you need to clarify their insights.

Life Purpose: It’s Not What You Do, It’s Who You Are

Recalling that purpose is composed of ways of being, characteristics and qualities rather than specific acts or behaviors, probe for the qualities and characteristics lying beneath the behaviors each person describes.

For example, if your close friend describes a situation where you were simply awesome, doing something with such gusto and high performance that the person was amazed and impressed, ask for the qualities or characteristics they observed in you.

If you undertake this process with several individuals, you’ll start to form a picture of who you are by noting the qualities and characteristics that each person recognizes as they think of you at your best. These qualities and characteristics are the components of your life purpose. Gradually you should form a picture of your life purpose from each person’s perspective.

Find Your Life Purpose

Image Courtesy Life on Purpose Institute

Align Your Life with Purpose

A meaningful, purposeful life results when you are using these qualities and characteristics of purpose. They make up the you at your very best, providing the meaning, satisfaction, fulfillment, and joy you’ve been looking for. Your life need not be devoted to some huge effort such as world peace, eliminating hunger, or curing cancer to be a purposeful life. Living each day, doing what you love to do while remaining aligned with your purpose is enough.

Watch for future articles on this site. Better yet, Subscribe to Your Purposeful Growth Update by email.

Jerry Lopper – Personal Growth Resources

Build your life on a foundation of purpose

Stream Of Consciousness to Find What Life is all About

 Life Purpose, Personal Development  No Responses »
Apr 182012
 

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Stream of Consciousness Writing

Flikr.com redcargurl, CC Attr Lisc.

You have a purpose in life. There is a reason you were born, the reason you’ve experienced the events of life that you’ve experienced, and the reason you’re still alive. If your life is less meaningful, less satisfying, and it’s bringing you much less happiness than you hoped for in your youth, the thing that’s missing is purpose.

Your seeking may take the form of changing jobs, changing spouses, cars, and other aspects of your life, but—as you’ve no doubt found—these changes do not bring the answers you’re seeking.

The answer to the universal questions all humans eventually ask, “Who am I?”, “Why am I here?”, and “What is life all about?” are already stored within each of us. The process of living is designed to give us opportunities to find these answers.

The processes I’ve been covering in recent articles provide opportunities for insightful self-reflection, opening you up to hear your true life purpose. The process I’m covering today, Stream of Consciousness, provides for a direct path for your answers to surface—if you’re ready to hear them.

The Meaning of Life Through Stream of Consciousness

Find a quiet place, somewhere you won’t be disturbed for at least forty-five minutes. Turn off your cell phone. No TV, no music, no sources of interruption. Equip yourself with pen and paper or your computer open to a blank word processor page.

Get yourself comfortable, feet flat on the floor. Take a few very deep, very slow breaths. Breathe in for a count of four or five, hold it for a count of two or three, and exhale for a count of two or three. Pause for a count of two or three and repeat the whole process. Do this four or five times, until you’re relaxed and peaceful.

At the top of your page write My Life Purpose Is.

Skip down a couple of lines and start writing. Write whatever comes into your mind. Don’t think about it, don’t re-phrase it, don’t worry about grammar and spelling. Just write what comes into your mind.

Initially you’ll probably think of things that “should” be your purpose, but probably aren’t. That’s okay, the process requires that you purge these things, getting them out of the way for the real stuff to come out. Keep writing. Don’t think, just write. If it comes to mind, write it down.

Ignore the clock, this could take some time—twenty or thirty minutes to get clarity is not unusual. Stick with it until you write something that seems to come with a blast of clarity and a burst of emotion.

Positive Emotion Indicates Life Purpose

When I used this process, after about twenty minutes I wrote something that I knew in my heart was my purpose—and I cried, tears of joy filled my eyes and I could feel the joy of purpose surrounding me. It was a wonderful emotional event, bringing me the freedom and joy of finding life purpose.

Your reactions may be different than mine, but when you’ve purged the false purpose components you’ve accumulated over the years and opened the path for true purpose to surface, you will experience strong positive emotion. Your purpose statement may lack polish and completeness at this point, but if you felt strong positive emotion, you’ve just uncovered the core of who you are and why you’re alive. Congratulations!

What now? Just relax and absorb the revelations of purpose for a few days. Let this new understanding of life rest in your subconscious. Over time your subconscious will surface insights that further clarify your purpose. Give the process some time to flesh out the details.

Example: My Life Purpose

You may recall my life purpose from previous articles. My purpose is to be peaceful, to be unconditionally loving, to be courageous—unafraid of rejection and failure—and to use my insights in the service of others while allowing my life to flow as it will.

This fairly articulate and grammatically correct (I hope) statement isn’t what initially surfaced for me. As I recall, what popped out of my mind and deposited itself on the paper in front of me was this: to be peaceful, to be unconditionally loving, to be unafraid. The rest of my current understanding of purpose surfaced a bit at a time. I say my current understanding of purpose because the full extent of born-in purpose evolves and unfolds as we grow into it.

Find Your Life Purpose

Image Courtesy Life on Purpose Institute

Life Purpose Through Stream of Consciousness

I hope the self-reflection introduced by this process helps you move closer to finding your life purpose. The articles listed below contain even more tools for finding the meaningful life you deserve. A useful summary of the entire process for finding life purpose can be found in Find the Purpose of your Life.

Watch for future articles on this site. Better yet, Subscribe to Your Purposeful Growth Update by email.

Jerry Lopper – Personal Growth Resources

Build your life on a foundation of purpose

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