How to Realistically Live out your Purpose.
I know a lot of you are like me and have therefore asked this question so many times. I started searching seriously for this ‘magical’ answer when I was out of high school and it grew chronic in my college days. I have read blogs, I have gone for so many meetings, gone for prayers and joined many groups in pursuit of this thing called purpose. Yes, I even pursued prophecies. I really desired to know who I was and why I am here on this earth. Did I get the answers? Yes, I did! A few. Am I living in my purpose? Yes, I feel so deeply in my heart that I am on that journey.
I used to think that my purpose was this direct “career, ministry, business” path that I would commit myself to for 40 years and finally retire. At the same time, I felt it within me that I knew what my purpose was and like I also did not really know. Have you ever felt this? I was also trying not to make a mistake and seek validation from my parents, teachers, mentors and society.
I felt it within me that I knew what my purpose was and like I also did not really know. Have you ever felt this? Click To Tweet
Purpose used to be this thing that I was searching for in the external and not within who God created me to be. It was always about what others thought and this paralysing fear of self-discovery. Fear of discovering who I was because there was this unrealistic and crazy pressure that I got from 8-4-4 that “failure” at things you invest in is not an option.That there are never lessons in trying and failing forward but only in succeeding.
Here are a few things I have learnt about realistically pursuing your purpose.
-
Visualize and write down who you see.
Sometimes the noise is too loud. The noise of peoples’ opinions and inclinations about who they think you should be and the direction that you should take. Sometimes these are their limited thoughts on what you can and cannot do. If you do not have a sketch of what you desire your future to look like then it’s really easy for you to live through someone else’s drawing. Take note of your beliefs and whether they are serving that sketch or not. Take note of your strengths and weaknesses. Finally, allow yourself to see different things that pop-up about this life you envision. You are also allowed to discover and rediscover this person. You are allowed to let go and allow new discoveries carry you for as long as they last.
If you do not have a sketch of what you desire your future to look like then it's really easy for you to live through someone else's drawing. Click To Tweet.
2) Serve fully and wholly where you are.
Pursuing purpose is a journey that has a lot of detours that sometimes can be so confusing as to whether we are still on the “right” path. I know you may not really like that job and you do not care at all about it apart from that salary. But could I shock you that in that detour, there are vital lessons that you could be bypassing because of your inability to fully plug in and serve in that season? A lot of us millennials really struggle with the fact that we will have to serve someone and their purpose in order for us to one day fully live out our purpose or even the fact that we will need someone to also help us as well to fully excel in our businesses, careers or ministry. Learn all that you can in that location you had no plans of being at. It is a useful place and it fits in the bigger picture.
3) Start Doing and Keep Doing.
I used to pray a lot about my purpose and my WHY! I waited for this audible voice from heaven so that I could be like people that began every statement “God told me to”. Well, I have never heard the audible voice of God but I later found out that it did not mean that God had not spoken.
God has given us beautiful, great ideas and a brilliance that allows us to dream and want to solve problems on this earth. Therefore, purpose is about starting and failing forward. Tuning and fine-tuning. Starting with what you have and know and gaining and learning as you grow. It’s about a vision that becomes clearer but only when you step into the path. It is about trusting God and taking the next step as He makes it clearer. Start that business, blog, write that book, join that drama class or apply for that job. Is it scary? Hell yes! Will you always get it right? Nope! But with each step, the path gets clearer.
Purpose is about starting and failing forward. Tuning and fine-tuning. Starting with what you have and know and gaining and learning as you grow. Click To Tweet
4)Practice ownership.
This is your life. These are your dreams! Own it. Realizing this was such a great wake up call for me. I still struggle with owning my life because for a long time my ear has just been on what other people thought about what I can and cannot do. When to move or not move. Owning your life looks like pursuing things you are genuinely interested in with regards to your purpose even while considering other peoples thoughts and advice. It is about taking responsibility for those choices as well. It is about owning your ideas and journey with boldness even as you keep planting those seeds. Do not worry, people generally warm up when they start seeing the fruit. Practising ownership is listening from within and trusting that voice that speaks greatness, goodness and capacity within your spirit.
Your purpose journey is beautiful as you tread on it. There is no arrival that will take away from the beauty found in the journey and therefore we should remove our eyes from this one Magnifique destination that will change everything. Within the journey, there are so many destinations. Allow yourself to notice them.
I know a lot of people struggle with this purpose thing just as I have! I became a Certified Life Coach to help women especially gain clarity in this area of their lives. To help them take steps in the direction of their purpose by kicking down mental blocks such as self-esteem, fear, loss, lack of confidence, body image issues. etc Book a free coaching session with me today through this link here.
I love all of you! Stay relatable forever!
