life purpose

5 Things You Should Know About Finding Your Purpose

2014-09-17 By Monica 12 Comments

I’ve been spending less time on my blog this summer. I guess you could say that I’ve been away on a long journey. Not the kind that requires a passport, but a long journey just the same.

Most of the journey was spent finishing my master’s degree, researching and writing the massive paper required for my final thesis. I knew it would be a big, time-consuming project as I mentioned in this article about Climbing Your Own Mount Everest. What I didn’t realize was how much of my focus and energy it would take. As a result, I took a little break from blogging and other social activities. You could say, I was a bit of a hermit.

After successfully completing my thesis and graduating, I felt an overwhelming sense of, “Now what?” Maybe you’ve experienced the same feeling in your own life – after completing a large project, when your child started or finished school, when you left a job, or some other major transition.

I had thought once I completed my master’s degree and thesis, that my journey would be complete and I’d jump back into my “regular routines.” What I failed to consider was that completing that goal would begin yet another journey. I began to question whether I wanted to continue this blog, continue my healthcare consulting work and taking coaching clients, or perhaps, take a new direction instead. I spent a lot of time re-evaluating my own purpose in life, and even reevaluating what “purpose” means in the first place. It was a great period of self reflection as I enjoyed what was left of summer, and visited with friends and family at our home.

I realized some really great lessons about purpose that want to share with you. Here they are, in no particular order:

1.) Know Your Why

Your “why” is the reason you do the things you do. Simon Sinek summarizes this concept brilliantly in his book, Start With Why, as well as in his TedTalk.

The only consistent thing in life is change. There are endings, new beginnings, and all kinds of things in between. Your why isn’t tied to any one job or role that you play. Your why remains relatively consistent throughout your life, even though your role or the expression of your why may change. [Read more…] about 5 Things You Should Know About Finding Your Purpose

Discovering Your Life Purpose with StrengthsFinder (Plus One More!)

2014-05-28 By Monica 1 Comment

As Shakespeare said, “To Thine Own Self Be True.” But what if you’re not clear about who you really are? What if you don’t know what you want to do with your life? How do you really get to know yourself? In this series of posts I’ll show you some great tools for discovering who you are. Knowing who you are is a necessary starting point for finding a purpose that aligns with your true self.

StrengthsFinder

Living your life’s purpose invariably includes knowing and applying your strengths. According to Gallup studies, “people who have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general.” [Read more…] about Discovering Your Life Purpose with StrengthsFinder (Plus One More!)

LifeOhm Turns 3 Today!

2014-05-27 By Monica Leave a Comment

I just wanted to take moment and thank everyone who has joined or participated in the LifeOhm community! It’s been amazing to watch the community grow, especially the past six months. We’ve been breaking records almost every week with new visits to the LifeOhm site and I’m really excited for another great year.

Discovering Your Life Purpose with the Myers-Briggs Self Assessment

2014-05-26 By Monica 2 Comments

There’s an old saying from Shakespeare: “To Thine Own Self Be True.” But what if you’re not clear about who you really are or what you want to do with your life? How do you really get to know yourself? This series of posts I’ll show you some great tools for discovering who you are. Knowing who you are is a necessary starting point for finding a purpose that aligns with your true self.

One of my favorite self assessment tools is Myers Briggs, which was designed by the mother/daughter team of Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers based on the works of Karl Jung. The assessment measures psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. Learning your Myers Briggs type can provide insight about what type of career you would enjoy as well as your strengths and weaknesses. [Read more…] about Discovering Your Life Purpose with the Myers-Briggs Self Assessment

Discovering Your Life Purpose with the DISC Self Assessment

2014-05-22 By Monica 1 Comment

We’ll start with the DISC assessment, which was first introduced in 1972, and is based on the theories of psychologist William Marston. Marston’s work centers on four different personality traits, most commonly described as: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance. [Read more…] about Discovering Your Life Purpose with the DISC Self Assessment

Finding Your Life’s Purpose in the Now

2013-01-08 By Monica 2 Comments

present moment, mindfulness
“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.” ~Eckhart Tolle

There have been many books and articles written about finding your passion, your life purpose, what you are meant to do. Most of these articles have been written to specifically address your career path and finding something that brings you joy and fulfillment. An important aspect of life purpose is often overlooked however. In Finding Your Life’s Purpose, Eckhart Tolle defines the primary life purpose and talks about why so many of us are unhappy and dissatisfied with our lives. We spend our time stuck in the past or thinking about the future while entirely missing the now. The past and future only exist in our minds as thoughts or memories.

“Always say “yes” to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? what could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say “yes” to life — and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.” ~Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart says we have two purposes in life, a primary purpose and a secondary purpose. According to Eckhart, we get so caught up in life and in trying to discover our purpose that we miss the whole point, or primary purpose as he calls it. When we’re in this state, everything just becomes a means to an end.

Primary purpose: Our primary purpose is to live in the Present Moment, to be here fully and know we are exactly where we are meant to be at that moment doing exactly what we’re supposed to be doing. This is also called mindfulness.

To practice mindfulness, simply stop for a moment and focus on your breath. The simple act of focusing on your breath brings your focus to the body and it quiets the mind. Thich Nhat Hanh says, “The first miracle brought about by mindfulness is your own presence, real presence. With this energy dwelling in you, you become completely alive.”

Secondary purpose: Your secondary purpose is what you are meant to do which is also referred to as Dharma in The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. Everyone has a purpose in life, a unique gift or special talent to give to others. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals.

“The inspiration you seek is already within you. Be silent and listen.” ~Rumi

Often, we are so caught up in everyday life that we don’t notice our purpose. That’s where quiet meditation comes in. It’s often easier said than done when you first get started but it doesn’t have to be. Just take a few minutes to sit in quiet each day and just listen, focus on your breathing. You don’t need to do any special breathing techniques or rituals, just be. You will find the more often you do this, the easier it gets and the longer you are able to do this. How do you use meditation? Share your thoughts below.

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