Your Purpose Checkup

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Your Purpose CheckupPurpose. Meaning. Fulfillment. Joy. STOP. Please read those four words again, a bit more slowly this time. Purpose, meaning, fulfillment, and joy. What is your immediate, emotional response to those words?Do you smile or do you smirk?Are you energized and excited by the idea of endless possibilities? Or are you cynical and skeptical at the plausibility that your life could have any of those?Do those four words create a greater sense of anticipation and awe? Or do they stir regret and remorse?What do those words ignite in you? Do you feel a surge of curiosity, courage, commitment, and action? Or is it more like apathy, anxiety, anger, and confusion?Are your eyes widening in anticipation or are they rolling in disbelief?Whatever your response is, it is your response. So own it! It indicates where you currently are on this journey.

Remember, it's Your Journey

And it is a journey. It's your journey. It's our journey to the degree we share it. We are ALL on it -- whether you are aware of it or not -- now, that’s another issue.Don’t give up on the journey. Just recognize that whether you are in the valley of despair or atop the mountain of celebration, you are on the journey.These words are not written to judge you, but to awaken you and encourage you to assess your current situation.If you really knew me, you would know that I am familiar with all of the responses listed above. All of them, and several more that didn’t make this list.I’ve known plenty of frustration in my journey. The kind that, left unchecked and exposed to the right stimuli, erupts into anger, even rage. It doesn’t compare to the outrage that has filled the screens on our devices from various news sources all around the world. But I understand the frustration that fuels much of that outrage.Hopeless, aimless, frustrated, depressed, and despairing. Those words aptly describe our life without purpose. But it doesn’t have to be that way.And just in case you’re wondering, “You talkin’ to me? Surely not. Not if you knew about my situation, my screw-ups, or my circumstances.”Yes! I’m talking (or writing) to you. Especially you. You see, I’ve been there. I’ve sat where you are sitting or stood where you are standing.I’ve thought I had blown it. Missed my opportunities and cashed in my chips. Thought it was over or might as well be over.[clickToTweet tweet="But then I discovered, as long as you have a pulse, you have a purpose." quote="But then I discovered, as long as you have a pulse, you have a purpose."]Your mistakes do not disqualify you from your life’s purpose. Instead, they prepare you for it. They create credibility to connect with certain people like no one else can. And best of all, your journey has filled you with compassion and empathy for those who have traveled the same or similar paths as you.As Frederick Douglass said,

If there is no struggle, there is no progress.

That’s why they call them growing pains.Finding purpose involves struggle. It’s often through your difficulties and struggles that you discover or rediscover your purpose." I call it Living Your WHY.

Living Your WHY is Progressive

For me, the words purpose, meaning, fulfillment, and joy represent a pathway that is both progressive and iterative. Finding the purpose for your life provides meaning, which leads to fulfillment, and produces joy. And deep down inside, don't we all long for purpose, meaning, fulfillment, and joy? I know I do. I think you do too.[clickToTweet tweet="Starting where you are with what you have may not be much, but it's all you can do. So do it. Now!   " quote="Starting where you are with what you have may not seem like much, but it's all you can do. So do it. Now!"]There is so much more to share about Living Your WHY, I can't wait to continue the journey with you.

What Do You Do Now?

Do something for sure. Here are some options:

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