Researchers believe that developing a sense of purpose can immensely enhance a person’s life. The basis for their theory comes from various studies carried out over decades. According to these studies, people who had a sense of purpose in addition to happiness displayed superior physical and health benefits to those who only experienced joy alone.
So what is needed to develop a sense of purpose?
There are many ways to acquire a sense of purpose. Since we are all unique individuals, what works best for you may vary. However, below are some examples that may give an idea of where to start.
– Helping others in your community, within a family setting, through a job, or on a broader basis.
– Being recognized and valued for your contribution. This also implies being valued by yourself!
– Being respected by others.
– Having a sense of identity or finding your tribe.
– Recognising a sense of achievement from what you do.
Stroke of Luck
Have you ever thought about what you would buy if you won the lottery? Yes, we’ve all imagined it, and there’s nothing wrong with having dreams. Somehow we think that all the money in the world will solve our problems.
Yet, how often do we hear about people who have had this stroke of luck and discover that their lives are not necessarily what they imagined. People found that winning the lottery often made things worse. Headlines in the local press have told us about the families who have broken up. People quit their jobs and made terrible investments. This led to drinking binges and drug use. Sadly they find themselves in a worse condition than when they started.
There is some truth to the saying, “If you have to work hard for something, you will appreciate it more.” The achievement itself isn’t always the most gratifying part of the process but rather the method by which it was achieved.
When You Follow Your Passions, Purpose Will Follow.
What provides someone with a sense of purpose will vary. Some may choose to travel, invest in a new business idea, or continue their education. The options are limitless. Whichever you choose, your commitment will be beneficial. When you involve yourself in activities that give you purpose, the chances are that you will become fulfilled with a new sense of optimism. Having something important to aim for encourages people to set goals and work hard to achieve them.
Successful people have always understood the importance of having a sense of purpose. Steve Jobs, the late CEO of Apple, is quoted as saying: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” If you find something that you’re passionate about and make it your life’s work, you’ll never have to “work” a day in your life.
What's the purpose of life and how do I get there?
It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves at one point or another. The answer is more straightforward than you might think: follow your passions, and purpose will follow.
It sounds easy enough, but it can be difficult to know what our passions are. We often get caught up in the day-to-day grind of work, family, and other obligations and forget to ask ourselves what we truly love to do.
What Are You Passionate About?
The first thing you need to determine is what your passions are. What gets you so excited that you can hardly contain yourself?
If you’re not sure what your passions are, here are some questions to help get you started:
– What makes you happy?
– What do you love to do in your free time?
– What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about
You have to realize that you won’t have all the answers initially. If you are waiting for a bolt of lightning to hit you and reveal to you what you’re supposed to do in life, you will be waiting a long time, my friend.
Once you find the answer to what gets your motor running, this is the starting point of your greatness.
Why the starting point?
Because once you finally have an idea about what you want to do, you must then ask, in what direction do I go? And how do I start? Believe it or not, those questions don’t matter as much as you may think they do.
Don’t let the question of “Where should I go or how do I begin?” prevent you from getting started. Most likely, some organization, team, or internet presence is doing something similar to what you want to achieve. Get involved with these individuals. Study what they’ve done. They have already built most of the groundwork for what you’re interested in.
Once you begin your journey to pursue your passion, you will start to figure out and perfect your intended purpose. In fact, your initial motivation for getting involved may change as you get to know more about what floats your boat.
That’s why it is not necessary to understand everything about what you wish to accomplish before getting started. It’s like this: Imagine you’re in Los Angeles and want to go to Florida. You don’t know where you’ll end up in Florida, but you do know that it’s there that you need to go. You have two options.
1. You can research, study, ask others, look at maps, and conduct a variety of things to determine the best method to get to Florida. You won’t depart until you’ve figured out how to get there and what dangers you’ll face along the way. The difficulty here is that you will never know everything there is to know about traveling to Florida until you get there.
2. You can just start driving. You may ask one or two people you meet along the way for instructions. Along your journey, perhaps you will meet people who will tell you you the best routes to take and places to visit once you get there. By the time you get to Florida, you will have gained so much knowledge that you have a better understanding without the added pressure of worrying about the unknown.
The point is this, you can sit around and wait for the perfect opportunity to fulfill your purpose, or you can simply start on your journey.
Of course, there are many other factors to consider when embarking on a life of purpose. However, if you can find what gets you excited and just start taking action, you’ll be well on your way.
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there!