(excerpt from my self-improvement book Redefine Yourself: The Simple Guide to Happiness)
__________
In a business plan, we can build a structure and develop a marketing strategy but it doesn’t make sense if we never define the mission statement. What is your intent? Who is your audience?
Now is the time for you to think about your own mission statement —your purpose. It’s the underlying theme of you. It guides your behavior and reminds you when you’re steering away from it. It isn’t always perfect and is continually redefined based on your experiences.
Religious, family, societal, or personal values may define your purpose. No matter the root, though, YOU choose it. It will steer how you adapt, how you decide, how you treat others, how far you extend your boundaries, how you interact, and how you participate in the world.
The first time my friend Jenny asked me about my purpose I was speechless. I didn’t know what my purpose was, and it showed. I reflected on my life and realized how aimlessly I lived. Most experiences were just a collection of random instances that collided to create my life. Relationship. Career. Everything. It was missing a linear connection.
It only took a little investigating to learn what steered me: My interactions with people. I realized that my purpose was to guide people in their efforts to understand themselves and the world. My self improvement book Redefine Yourself and my personal training business embodies this intent, and I will continue to live my life with it in mind.
Have you thought about your purpose? We haven’t approached this question yet for good reason. You can’t build a shelter in a tornado. There was no sense in encouraging you to write a personal mission statement in an emotional funnel when you just want to find sanity outside of the storm. You can’t build a new you without the storm clearing your self-obstacles first. You need a clear vision of yourself and your direction.
Now, after countless hours of introspection and the repetitive messages in this book, you are starting to part the clouds. Determine your purpose, but be sure it’s reflective of you. You don’t have to be anyone you’re not, and you don’t have to be the person who does it all.
My great friend, Craig, shared an insight years back about volunteering. In high school, Craig volunteered at a nursing home and spent his afternoons listening to the stories of lonely seniors. With consideration of his volunteering spirit, I requested his participation in my food drive. With genuine assertiveness, Craig said, “No.”
He told me that he loves to volunteer but only prefers to work with seniors. Craig is one of the most genuine people I know, and he doesn’t have to help everyone. He’s entitled to choose to live in a way that serves his purpose.
I keep this story in mind as I live my life and you should, too. Think about your purpose, but never feel obligated to extend yourself in a way that steers you from happiness.
1.) Awareness: Have you ever thought about your purpose? What are you passionate about in your life? What is your mission statement?
2.) Acceptance: Will you accept that you may need to identify your purpose and redefine how you live your life in order to achieve it?
3.) Adaptation: Describe your purpose in a sentence or two. Reflect on your experiences. What will your legacy be? What should steer your behaviors and perspectives?
******Check out my new self-improvement book Redefine Yourself: The Simple Guide to Happiness on Amazon!!!!!!
Define Your Purpose
Now is the time for you to think about your own mission statement —your purpose. It’s the underlying theme of you. It guides your behavior and reminds you when you’re steering away from it. It isn’t always perfect and is continually redefined based on your experiences.
Religious, family, societal, or personal values may define your purpose. No matter the root, though, YOU choose it. It will steer how you adapt, how you decide, how you treat others, how far you extend your boundaries, how you interact, and how you participate in the world.
The first time my friend Jenny asked me about my purpose I was speechless. I didn’t know what my purpose was, and it showed. I reflected on my life and realized how aimlessly I lived. Most experiences were just a collection of random instances that collided to create my life. Relationship. Career. Everything. It was missing a linear connection.
It only took a little investigating to learn what steered me: My interactions with people. I realized that my purpose was to guide people in their efforts to understand themselves and the world. My self improvement book Redefine Yourself and my personal training business embodies this intent, and I will continue to live my life with it in mind.
Have you thought about your purpose? We haven’t approached this question yet for good reason. You can’t build a shelter in a tornado. There was no sense in encouraging you to write a personal mission statement in an emotional funnel when you just want to find sanity outside of the storm. You can’t build a new you without the storm clearing your self-obstacles first. You need a clear vision of yourself and your direction.
Now, after countless hours of introspection and the repetitive messages in this book, you are starting to part the clouds. Determine your purpose, but be sure it’s reflective of you. You don’t have to be anyone you’re not, and you don’t have to be the person who does it all.
My great friend, Craig, shared an insight years back about volunteering. In high school, Craig volunteered at a nursing home and spent his afternoons listening to the stories of lonely seniors. With consideration of his volunteering spirit, I requested his participation in my food drive. With genuine assertiveness, Craig said, “No.”
He told me that he loves to volunteer but only prefers to work with seniors. Craig is one of the most genuine people I know, and he doesn’t have to help everyone. He’s entitled to choose to live in a way that serves his purpose.
I keep this story in mind as I live my life and you should, too. Think about your purpose, but never feel obligated to extend yourself in a way that steers you from happiness.
Reflection Section:
1.) Awareness: Have you ever thought about your purpose? What are you passionate about in your life? What is your mission statement?
2.) Acceptance: Will you accept that you may need to identify your purpose and redefine how you live your life in order to achieve it?
3.) Adaptation: Describe your purpose in a sentence or two. Reflect on your experiences. What will your legacy be? What should steer your behaviors and perspectives?
******Check out my new self-improvement book Redefine Yourself: The Simple Guide to Happiness on Amazon!!!!!!
Article Credit:
Excerpt from the book Redefine Yourself: Define Your Purpose
Life transformation and your purpose.
2/11/2015 12:49 PM
