Life Purpose - The Big Question
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008What is my life all about?
What is my reason for being?
What should I do with my life?
Who am I and why am I here?
These are all variations of the big question every human will ask of themselves at some time. Many ponder the reason for their existence for years. Others, shy away from even asking the
questions, let alone seeking answers. These are tough questions, but questions that must be answered if a person desires a fulfilling, satisfying life.I was recently interviewed by Peep Laja, founder of theonequestion.com, a site devoted to life purpose. The interview follows:
Laja: Have you found your purpose in life? If so, how did you find it?
Jerry: Yes I have found my purpose. I went through many iterations over a considerable period of time to get to this place, and I expect my purpose will continue to evolve and clarify. As of now, I describe my purpose this way: to love unconditionally, to be peaceful, to grow continuously, to be strong, courageous, and unafraid of rejection and failure, and to use my insight and other core strengths in the service of others.
Laja: What do you think is the best way to discover life purpose?
Jerry:
- Deep, frequent, and honest reflection about your life thus far,
- Honest description of the legacy you want to leave when your life is over,
- Start with a blank sheet of paper, put “My Purpose in Life is” at the top, then start writing and don’t stop until you have a very strong and emotional feeling. You may even find yourself crying with joy. Repeat the process over time and watch how it clarifies.
Laja: Why is it so hard to uncover the true self? I am still a little overwhelmed and have so many possible purposes. What do I need do to get clearer insight?
Jerry: The toughest obstacle to overcome is to realize that purpose is about being, not about doing. It’s who you are being that is important to your soul, not what you do for a living. Once you clarify the states of being that bring you true joy and fulfillment, then it is easy to visualize things to do that support those states of being. Notice in my purpose how much of the description relates to being, not doing.
Laja: How to find something that I really love? I’ve tried answering “power questions” and done some exercises, but I still cannot find enough passion for anything.
Jerry: Again, don’t think in terms of things to do that you love. Think about things you’ve done in the past that brought you happiness. Then go a level beneath what you were
doing then, and identify who you were being. The real power question is “who was I being when I felt that wonderful joy?”
Laja: How could we follow our life passion if there were no suitable circumstances?
Jerry: There will always be suitable circumstances when you become clear on your purpose. The Law of Attraction assures that.
Laja: How do I go about following my passions in life to make a successful livelihood from them?
Jerry: Life feels successful when you follow your passion, which implies you’re on purpose. Now, can you make a living at it? Generally yes, but the fulfillment that comes from purpose is often great enough that compensation becomes a secondary issue. Still, you need to pay the bills, which may mean having a day-job to pay the bills and following purpose other ways.
Laja: Is it possible that my life purpose, my passion is something that gives me stress? Will I recognize my life purpose because it doesn’t give me any stress?
Jerry: Life purpose always feels good, always, all ways. The stress you feel is because you’re working at cross purposes to your purpose.
Laja: Have you ever met anybody that has many life purposes? Is it possible that somebody has many different things that give fulfillment? Should I pick one and focus on it, or do all of them a bit (e.g. in terms of career)?
Jerry: There are many ways to apply a state of being that aligns with purpose. Look at my purpose. Can you see many occupations that will allow me to be on purpose? I could live in the 1800’s and still live in alignment with my purpose.
Laja: What is the purpose actually? Is it that thing which makes you forget the world around? Or is it that thing
what you love to do? Or is it that what you aspire to be? Or a unique quality of yourself?
Jerry: Yes
Laja: There have been several different things at different periods of my life that I thought were my life purpose, but eventually I lost interest or didn’t feel enough passion to move on. Is there a safe and reliable way to realize our purpose, or is committing to a potential purpose always a risk?
Jerry: Purpose doesn’t feel bad. Purpose brings joy. I can be on purpose (a state of being), but get tired of applying it to one type of doing and apply it to another type of doing. Remember, purpose is first being, then doing.
Visit theonequestion.com for many resources on life purpose.
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