The big questions humans ask themselves at various points throughout life… Who am I? What should I choose to do going forward? What do I most enjoy? What will make me happy?
Successful people start very young by knowing what they want to do. Others learn as teens, young adults, and many start new ventures in later years. Regardless, they all share a common characteristic: they follow their talents, natural gifts. Some people learn it as a child like Yo Yo Ma who played an improvised viola sitting on a stack of phone books at age 4, or Bill Gates, computer scientist, who started his first entrepreneurial venture at age 13, or Julia Child who shifted from WWII spy to meeting Paul Child, learning her way through the kitchen to a new culinary world. She couldn’t boil an egg at age 35 but had a hunger for life that knew no boundaries.
Working on purpose is a timely task. If taken seriously it may be:
- If you’re stuck on what your purpose might be, think of an action verb that you enjoy: teach, write, train, sell, coach… To the verb add a subject that resonates: Children, Elders, Animals… Now you have a beginning, which might be something like: Teach Children. Rescue Animals. Feed the Homeless. Beautify the Garden.
- Remember that purpose is a process that develops as we do it. Don’t be impatient or judgmental about finding or actualizing your purpose. You’ll know if it feels right to keep going.
- PURPOSE: Plan, Unleash, Reinvent, Prioritize, Organize, Seize, Embrace. Now you do it! Choose a favorite word of at least eight letters, for example: ambition, happiness, successful, celebration, character, generosity, grandchildren, community…think of a positive value to apply to each letter that composes it.