“You’re here because you know [...]]]>

Do you ever get the feeling that you’re wasting your life?  Running in circles, forever busy, but never getting anything of consequence done? You know that if you could just figure out what you SHOULD be doing with your life, you would finally feel the passion and motivation that’s been missing.

“You’re here because you know something. What you know you can’t explain, but you feel it. You’ve felt it your entire life, that there’s something wrong with the world. You don’t know what it is, but it’s there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad.” -Morpheus from The Matrix

What you’re looking for is your purpose.  And its not missing.  Its there, waiting in the shadows for you to discover it.

What Is the Matrix

The Princeton dictionary defines purpose as “an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions.”  But your life purpose isn’t just a goal.  It’s a goal that ignites endless passion, motivation, and emotion. And it doesn’t just guide your actions, it builds your life into the Hero’s Journey. The human story of overcoming difficulty where we discover that the internal rewards far outweigh the external ones.

Purpose can also be described as simply “what something is used for.”  And for many people, this is where the lack of clarity arises.  However, your purpose is NOT what someone or something uses you for, because no one but you can define your purpose.   Nor is your purpose the same things as your life’s Meaning.  The meaning of your life defines the context of your purpose, but not the actual goal.  For a better understanding of this, read Create a Meaningful Life.

The Red Pill

So what is your life purpose?  Just as is the case with so many Koans, or riddles of life, the answer is short and easy to understand.

Your life purpose is to share you inner self with others.

But not necessarily simple to act upon.

“Neo, sooner or later you’re going to realize just as I did that there’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path. ” -Morpheus from The Matrix

For many people, this easy answer fills them with fear.  Fear that they don’t really know their true inner self. Fear of exposing themselves to others and being rejected.  Fear of failing or not being good enough.  Fear of succeeding but ending up alone at the top.  And each of these fears MUST be faced…. in time.

Although the short answer is hard to face, the good news is that the hard answer arises from a simple Q&A session.

Down The Rabbit Hole

Here’s how you find the hard answer.

1.  Ask yourself “Am I ready to know my purpose?” and listen to your internal Voice.  Remember, your internal Voice doesn’t sound like your parents, your boss, your coworkers, or anyone else.  Your Voice, whether it’s soft or loud, sounds like you and only you.  You’ll always know it, because it will always sound like the truth.  And, the answer to this first question will be YES.  That’s why you’re still reading.

Now that you’ve opened up to your Voice, you’re ready to…

2.  Ask yourself “Am I frightened of my purpose, even a little?” and accept whatever response you receive.  Many people will also answer this second question with YES.  This is a huge step.  You’ve accepted that you want to know your purpose and that you have fears associated with that purpose.

If you answered this second question with NO, then you may need to dig deeper or you may not be listening to your true Voice.  Perhaps your Daemon, your analytical side, is blocking your feelings with too much logic.  For example, the Daemon may respond “Of course I’m not afraid of my purpose.  I just haven’t figured out what it is. That’s why I haven’t done it yet.”  Don’t fight with the Daemon but don’t believe it’s BS either.  Fighting only gives it more power.  Instead, ask a more literal question such as “Am I afraid of acting on my purpose?”

Its important to recognize that you have fears linked to your life’s purpose. If you didn’t have any fears, you would already be doing exactly what you need to do.  This acceptance is critical when you…

3.  Ask yourself “What do I NEED to share with others that I haven’t shared yet?” and  “What do I NEED to do that I haven’t done yet?” Write every answer down in your journal.  Do you need to write your life story?  Do you need to quit your corporate job and become a teacher? Do you need to guide and inspire others? Everything.  Even if it’s “I don’t know” over and over again.  Write it down until you reach past your inhibitions and you begin to feel deep seated emotions. Write until you feel something, whether its anger, sadness, happiness, or fear.  Then, each time you feel emotions begin to well up, mark that entry, and continue writing.

Give this process at least 30 minutes to an hour.  Some bloggers say you can find your answer in 20 minutes, but I think it takes a little longer.  You need to give yourself some time to peel back the protective layers and let your Voice speak from the deepest part of your soul. Whether your list has 8 marked items or 80, these are the keys to your life’s purpose.

After you have marked as many entries as you want and you feel that nothing new is coming up then you…

4.  Sift through the marked answers to find the critical ones. Compare each marked answer and cross off or combine similar thoughts.  Prioritize your marked answers according to which ones have the most meaning, the most passion, the most emotional content for you.  These 5 to 10 answers are your Life Purpose.

The One

Taken together, the answers to your Life Purpose are absolutely unique to you.  They don’t signify the same ideas to anyone else and more importantly, they can’t be done by anyone else.  Their uniqueness defines you as the One to achieve them. It also defines you as the One who must face the associated fears.

“I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Being the One is like being love. No one can tell you you’re in love, you just know it. Through and through. Balls to bones.” -Oracle in The Matrix

Happily, the act of confronting your fears is also an act of creation.  Facing your fears creates a deeper understanding of your inner self. It indicates you have hope, faith, and belief that your inner self can overcome this obstacle and transform into something greater.  You already know you can be and do so much more.  Accept your belief, accept your Life Purpose, and turn to face one fear.

To begin, simply choose one piece of your Life Purpose and act.  Perhaps you need to take a Leap of Faith or perhaps you need more insight into the fear itself, but you must act.  To face your fears is to walk the Path of Purpose and live openly from you inner self. I know you can do this and so do you.

“I don’t know the future. I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin.

I’m going to hang up this phone, and then I’m going to show these people what you don’t want them to see. I’m going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you. “ -Neo from The Matrix

BREAK

What is your Life Purpose? How are you working toward your Life Purpose? Share your ideas in the comment section!

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