We shall never cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.— T.S. Eliot
I spent years; decades even.
I conferred with priests and ministers.
I consulted with counselors and therapists.
I sought out spiritual directors and shamans and energy healers.
I even hired a high-priced consultant.
I was looking for my “purpose.”
I’ve discovered that I wasn’t alone.
I’ve come across lots of folks in the course of my coaching practice lately who are searching for their “purpose.” Folks from all walks of life; between jobs; coming out of dissolving marriages (and in happy ones); looking for the next step (or the first one); weary of their professions (or just ready for a change); certain that there is something “more,” but without a clue as to what that “more” might be.
They’re searching for their purpose because, for many, finding it really does matter. Because living day to day with a sense of purpose is important. Because, ultimately, we all want to make a difference with our lives; we want to make an impact; we want to leave the world a better place.
Purpose is a sense of mission, a vocation, a calling; a grand arc. More than a job or a role, it’s a sense of wholeness that weaves the pieces of our lives together.
The act of searching, though, can become a distraction; an excuse; a reason not to get our hands dirty, to buckle down and do the work. Searching for our purpose sounds important. And if we’re doing something as important as searching for our purpose, like a Holy Grail, how could we possibly have time to find the job, get the degree, launch the product, write the book, paint the picture, or compose the song? Those are things you do after you’ve found your purpose! I should know! I’ve engaged in my fair share of circle-jerking purpose searching.
“So how do you find your purpose? people ask.
I’ve discovered that it doesn’t have to be rocket surgery.
What excites you? What lights you up? What quickens your heart? What draws you like a moth to a flame? Where do you lose yourself in time? What have you always wanted to do? What brings you joy? What would you do, even if you weren’t getting paid to do it?
Sometimes we think that “doing” our purpose has to be hard; or that working at our purpose will require toil and sacrifice. But just the opposite is true.
Ask yourself instead: what makes you happy, what’s fun? In fact, ask yourself what would be too much fun to do? That likely will point you in the right direction of your purpose.
But, ultimately, remember this. We really don’t have the time to search for yetis or lost cities. The clock is running. And every second counts.
Just get busy. Purpose has a way of finding you.
Purpose is about discovering what has been within you all along.
It’s about loving deeply and serving freely; it’s about sharing the gifts that only you can share with the world.
Likely, your purpose is close at hand; right here; right now; right where you are. Doing the work you are doing in this very moment.
Don’t miss it.