January 25, 2015
How To Discover Your True Purpose
Do you ever feel like your life lacks ‘real’ purpose, or that deep sense of inner contentment that others seem to have? Perhaps you’re close to where you want to be in life, yet feel disappointed with the reality coming with it? It’s not what you expected. Something is missing…
From a very young age I’d wanted to be a ‘business woman’ and when I reached a time in my life where this was my reality, I was constantly anxious about my role and performance. Regardless of the positive feedback I received from others, I still had sleepless nights worrying about not being good enough, and spent most of my earnings trying to make my world joyous – through wining and dining, travelling and copious amounts of retail therapy. Despite the external view that I was living the ‘good life’, I felt soulless and unhappy. I didn’t smile anymore and when my sister asked me why one day, I told her without thinking that it was “because I am deeply unhappy.”
I think this admission shocked me more than it did my sister! How could I possibly know I was that deeply unhappy, yet continue regardless?
I needed to make some big life changes, and fast.
The thing about ambitions and values is that they can change over time. What you wanted as a child is probably very different to what you want now. Even your dreams and desires from ten years ago might not make you happy today. You can also outgrow goals.
Luckily for me, I realised that my values had in fact changed over time, and that my life purpose was no longer being fulfilled. I knew I enjoyed coaching and mentoring others to be the best versions of themselves, so I tried to use my ‘business’ role to make positive differences in the lives of my team members. But eventually that wasn’t enough.
Sometimes a shift in focus is needed.
To do this, I had to let go of the identity that had defined me for so long and see what was missing. I had to question what made me happy, what I was passionate about and what legacy I wanted to leave behind. It can be a challenge to do this exercise, but getting to the other side of that challenge can mean all the difference to your sense of contentment and joy.
As an Executive Coach I now work in the emotional space of helping others pass the challenges I did, to develop a healthy, positive and robust mindset that will enable them to thrive and flourish in their lives generally – not just at work, but in all areas of their life. Knowing how to apply my vocation has made all the difference to me, and it could make all the difference to you too.
If you want to lead a fulfilled and purposeful life and you feel like you need some help to get clear on what this could look like or how to achieve it, then I would love to hear from you. You can leave a comment for me, share your story or contact me at www.energycoaching.net.au. I would love to hear from you.
