My purpose is eluding me...

Is It Normal to Not Know Your Purpose?

It is entirely normal to feel uncertain about your purpose in life. This question is not only common but also a sign of self-reflection and a desire for personal growth. The uncertainty often stems from various factors, including an unhealthy inner dialogue about oneself. However, it is important to remember that this state is not hopeless. By shifting our self-talk to more positive and beneficial patterns, we can begin to open up a world of possibilities. This change in perspective helps to clear the fog surrounding our purpose, making it easier to envision our future. The better we treat ourselves, the clearer our path becomes, allowing us to discover and embrace our true purpose with confidence.

The Better We Treat Ourselves, the Clearer Our Path Becomes?

Treating ourselves better can indeed lead to greater clarity about our purpose. When we are kind to ourselves and practice self-care, we create a positive environment that fosters clarity and reduces the mental fog that often obscures our vision of the world around us and our future. Giving ourselves grace and accepting ourselves as we are can lead to a flood of discoveries. A positive environment enhances our confidence and boosts our self-esteem while reducing self-doubt and fears, helping us to explore new opportunities and find our purpose instead of being paralyzed by our fears.

How Do I Know If I’ve Found My Purpose?

We often imagine purpose as something extraordinary and incomprehensible thing, like a star-lit universe that only others have been able to witness. This mystical concept might seem daunting because not many people talk about purpose and how to recognize it when it’s been found. Here are some thoughts on purpose to help you along your way:

Purpose is when you experience something that you enjoy doing and it gives you a deep sense of fulfillment. It aligns with your values, morals, and ideals. It provides you with an indelible motivation to pursue your goals, even through challenges. Many times, it can be described as living a life that just feels good, right, and meaningful to you. Purpose doesn’t have to be this big, world-shaking thing that some people make it out to be. We’ve created a Purpose Exploration document to help you explore these questions more deeply and get your creative mind working on the questions you’ve been pondering.

Can I Have More Than One Purpose?

This is a hotly debated topic. Some say you only have one true purpose, while others believe you can have multiple. Here’s how I see it, and please feel free to leave a comment for discussion:

We as people usually have goals in different areas of our lives. We have goals for our mental wellness, work, family, fitness, and the list goes on. We are passionately pursuing all sorts of things at different intervals, so we have many purposes going at once if we have many goals and things we are passionate about. Sometimes we have to concentrate on one passion harder than another, but we usually have multiple things going because we as people have ambitions in different areas. Many things can make you feel fulfilled, right? So doesn’t that mean you have many purposes while you roam the earth?

Can My Purpose Change Over Time?

We change over time, and our purpose today might not be the same tomorrow. Let’s look at it objectively for a second. When you were younger, there were foods you refused to eat, and more than likely the list was longer than it is now. You took a chance on trying a food you once found unappetizing and tried it again, only to find you actually liked it. Your tastes changed, and you might have realized as you grew that you enjoyed it. Now, I’m not comparing your life’s purpose to food, but you change over time. Your likes and dislikes change. You come into more information about various things, making your opinions, thoughts, and ideas change. You meet new people, hear new things, and form different opinions. You grow and change as a person, so why wouldn’t your purpose grow and change with you? Why couldn’t you have more than one purpose? Many successful people throughout history have had different passions depending on the season of their lives. We as humans are multilayered, and it’s okay to change with those layers. So whether what you pick is your purpose for years or decades is all up to you, and it can change—that’s nothing to be insecure about. We have this great big life we were given, and we were meant to experience it with meaning and purpose. No one ever said to pick one thing and stick with it no matter what. Or at least I didn’t get that memo.

Purpose: What an Immense Thought!

This discussion could go on and on, but the only thing that matters is what you think. What do you tell yourself? Have you found your purpose or purposes, and are you kind enough to yourself to foster the environment where you will flourish? Because let’s be honest, you are a beautiful individual, unlike anyone else, with unique talents, skills, and abilities. Foster that uniqueness and follow your passions. See where it leads and bring out your best self!