Purposeful Growth

PurposefulGrowth.com is devoted to the concept that personal growth and development is best accomplished on a foundation of Life Purpose. With Life Purpose clarity our growth activities are most effective and helpful.

I’ve devoted much time and energy to my own purpose in life, and dedicate a good portion of my writing and personal coaching to the life purpose topic. When I agreed to review Brad Swift’s book, Life on Purpose, Six Passages to an Inspired Life, I admit I did so with a certain amount of “I already know it” attitude. I was wrong.

Brad Swift’s Own Purpose Journey

Swift has developed an effective six stage life purpose process. The story of his own path toward life purpose understanding provides an excellent example as well as interesting reading. At one point in his life, Swift was a very successful veterinarian, with a trophy wife, a trophy home, and all the trimmings of cars, vacations, and “stuff.”

Yet he describes a day when he was on the verge of suicide, curled up on his bathroom floor holding a gun to his head. He had found, as do many apparently successful people, that material acquisition does not fulfill the soul.

Being versus Doing

Swift tackles the very difficult task of separating and clarifying our understanding of the distinction between being and doing. Most of us assume that a life purpose is about what we do, so we set out to find the perfect job or career that will fulfill us. We may find life purpose that way, but we’ll be lucky if we do.

Life purpose is about who we are being when we do what we do. So understanding the being side of purpose must come first. Swift calls this the vessel or context of life. It shapes what we do.

Clarifying Life Purpose

His process for suggesting how to clarify life purpose in terms of being involves reflecting on several questions he asks, such as, “If money, time, energy, and talent were unlimited, what would you do with your life and who would you be?”

Another question asks that you finish this sentence as many as five times, “The purpose for which I’m here on this planet is…”

These questions, along with several others, help us to move toward an understanding of life purpose as a unique combination of states of being.

Swift’s own life purpose is an excellent example: “…a life of purposeful, passionate, and playful service, mindful abundance balanced with simplicity, and spiritual serenity.” He then describes how the things he does, such as his Life on Purpose Institute, reflect and stem from this purpose.

Life Purpose Shapes What We Do

Life purpose is the context or vessel shaping what we choose to do in life. Without clarity of life purpose, Swift indicates that we shape our lives, often subconsciously, by an inherited purpose stemming from our childhood years.

Regardless of where you are in your journey of life purpose understanding, I recommend Life on Purpose, Six Passages to an Inspired Life.

Getting Help

I also recommend, as Swift does, that the journey toward purpose is easier with the help of a personal coach or insightful, supportive friend or family member.

Related Articles: I suggest this article for another view of clarifying life purpose, as well as all articles in the Life Purpose Category (right sidebar).

Disclosure: I am not being paid to write this review. I sincerely believe Life on Purpose to be a valuable tool for those seeking life meaning. However, if you purchase using the link to the right I will make a few cents from Amazon.com. 

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Reflection, the art of looking within quietly and calmly is an effective tool of purposeful growth.

The formula for a happy life is to build personal development with the inspiration of life purpose. Earlier articles described the importance of life purpose and the role of meditation in clarifying purpose. Another critical life skill you’ll find helpful is reflection. To reflect is to look within quietly and calmly. While meditation quiets your mind so you can hear the small voice of intuition or spirit, reflection uses your mind to ponder and analyze; both are useful tools of personal development.

One of the keys to personal development is understanding your beliefs. As we grow and gain experience we build a data bank of beliefs. When encountering a situation, we subconsciously look into the belief data bank for guidance. Most beliefs are helpful to our daily lives, keeping us safe and alive.

For example, I stop and look both ways before crossing a street. I believe that being hit by a two-ton vehicle will threaten my life. On the other hand, when I cross my lawn I don’t stop and look both ways because I believe that the occupants of my lawn are of little danger to me. Granted, this is a trivial example, but we have countless beliefs which similarly govern our behaviors.

So what? Some of the beliefs you’ve stored may be inhibiting personal development. If you find yourself frustrated by the inability to move forward on some aspect of your life, a stored belief is likely the cause.

Try this: Find a quiet place and make a list of all the exciting ideas you’ve had that failed to materialize. You may have had ideas for new products or services you could offer, or exciting places you’d like to see, or work you’d like to do, people you want to get to know better, etc. If an idea came to you with energy, inspiration, and excitement, yet you somehow failed to follow through on it completely, you have a belief that held you back.

Often these inhibiting beliefs are things like:

• I’m not smart enough
• I can’t afford it
• People will laugh at me
• I’ll fail
• Who am I to attempt such a thing?

Sound familiar? Now, is the belief true? That’s for you to decide after you’ve brought the subconscious belief out into the open and examined it. Maybe Aunt Bertha told you “You’ll never make it in the real world” when you were ten years old and you believed her. Is it true now that you’re a functioning adult?

Sharpen your awareness and watch yourself as well as others. What beliefs are driving your behavior today? Reflect upon and challenge every belief. Some are helpful. Some are not.

Originally published at Personal Development, Suite101.com.

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