Finding Purpose And Meaning In Your Life

Welcome back to lesson four in the Everyday Miracles course. I am super excited about today’s topic where together we are going to delve into how to find your purpose. When we live in alignment to our purpose we start living each day with a deeper sense of meaning.

In today’s lesson I will share with you 19 ideas you can put into practice to reconnect with your purpose and find meaning in your everyday.

It is my hope that in today’s lesson you will get a few little takeaways that help you on your journey to seeking out your own life of purpose and meaning. There is also a meditation that goes along with today’s lesson that will guide you in getting closer to your life’s purpose. The link to the meditation can be found further down this post.

Your daily life should be an expression of your authentic self. It is about showing up in the world as the real you. It’s about listening to your own needs, values and ideas and then living each day true to these. No pretending, people pleasing and needing to prove your worth. It is about standing strong in your most authentic self and owning your story with no shame or apologies’.

Is this how you feel about your own life? If not, then I suspect you probably have that nagging voice within you urging you to do something more with your life.

That niggling feeling you get, that strong inner push to make a significant change in your life, is in fact the language of the universe. You are being encouraged to reconnect back to your own true nature and tap into your passion and find a way to use that passion to spread a universal message of peace, love, justice and equality. And in all honesty, with the state of our current world, we need more people than ever to step up and take on the call.

When you start living authentically – not everyone is going to see it. But you are going to feel it. And at first, it’s going to be really really hard, in fact sometimes super scary, to show up in the world as the real you. But if you are brave enough to take on the stumbles, uncertainty, uncomfortable moments and the critics you will find purpose and meaning in your own life.

We are the artist of our own lives, it is up to us how we choose to navigate through life. So; rather than trying to control the world around us, we should allow our natural abilities and positive traits to emerge by tapping into the true authentic self. It is about finding your music and letting that music live within you. The truth is that you don’t really need to find your purpose, for it seeks you out. The problem is that in today’s hurried world we are filled with too many options, ambitions and decisions that we have to many things going on at once, and often we ignore all those signs we get that lead us to our purpose .

 So how do you know what is ‘your purpose’ and what is just purely motivation/ambition. Your purpose is that one thing that is always niggling at you, and most of the time an element of your purpose has been with you for your entire life. It presents itself to you in those same opportunities you keep getting, that same thought or idea that keeps randomly popping up. Your purpose never gives up on you – even if you fail to hear it – it will keep presenting itself to you in different forms until you finally ‘get it’.

Your life’s purpose is not what you think you should be doing – it is what your soul knows you should be doing.

We are all born into this world with a purpose. Every aspect of nature and life has a purpose and meaning  – including you. By living a life aligned with your purpose, you are accessing a universal power which will relieve you of endless struggle, striving and trying to create out of sheer force.

Purpose and meaning can be witnessed in its purest form by watching children. Look back at what you loved most as a child and it will give you a clue to what your purpose is.

What is purpose? Well - it’s the opposite to over-achieving. Over-achieving is when you get hold of an idea and don’t let go of it until you make it a reality. Your souls purpose is the reverse—it is when an idea gets hold of you and you feel inspired to let that energy guide you and carry you along. When you are living in full purpose you get to a point where you realize that you’re not alone on the journey, and that there’s an energy bigger than you working alongside you.  

Often, we lose sight of our purpose when the demands of the ego take over, causing us to move further away from our own inner knowing, truth and purpose. The ego insists on pursuing more: more stuff, accomplishments, status, triumphs, and money. More is the mantra of the ego. In an effort to obtain more we fall into a vicious cycle of always striving and never arriving.

In order to reconnect back with our purpose we first need to put a stop to the ego; and this starts by dropping self-importance and practicing self-awareness. The more aware you are of your thoughts and the reasons behind them - then the more control you will have over your ego and the decisions you choose to make.

With practice you will start to slow down the ego’s hold on you. You will quieten within and start living more from the heart rather than the mind. In time you will quieten within and start to hear the whispers of your soul or feel a pulling within. You will become clearer on what it is that you should be doing in your life.

***Todays lesson is accompanied by a meditation below. You can access all audio meditations and lessons for this course here [YouTube] or sign up to our Podcast

Today I am going to share with you some of my favourite practices to help you reconnect back with your most authentic self and life purpose so that you can start living with more meaning in your day to day life.  They are:

Never give up on your purpose: Everything unfolds in its own natural time – including your purpose. Sometimes life may require that you experience certain things before you come back home to your true self and purpose.  Your life experiences have actively seeked you out, they are things that you needed to go through in order to get where your true nature wants you to go  - “your purpose”. All your experiences up to today are stepping stones to something greater.

Become less so that you can become more: Many of us get so caught up in day to day living that we forget about ‘just being’ in the present moment. Many of us are not content with what we have; this then puts us on a path of endless seeking. The truth is that you have everything you need NOW. You are enough, just as you are today. Once you can stand comfortably in whom you are today, life suddenly becomes simple and not so stressful. When life becomes simple, you have greater clarity, balance and mental strength. You have the ability to not only see the opportunities in front of you, you also have the ability to see and use the tools in front of you.

Make your passion and purpose revolve around serving others: It doesn't have to change millions of people’s lives or be some big achievement. Just do something. Making one person breathe a little easier because of what you did for them – that’s enough. Also, if we focus on serving others our ego’s need to be accepted or liked by others reduces greatly. When you live in a way that is solely concerned with how others see you, this is a self-entitled way of being which primarily focuses on an “I mentality” as opposed to a “we mentality”.

True contentment, joy and acceptance cannot be found within an “I mentality”; and its only when we choose to live in a way that has a positive contribution to the world and others that we truly find deep meaning, connection and purpose within our own life. Positive contribution doesn’t have to be big things – it can be as simple as stopping for pedestrians in your car, smiling at a stranger or holding the door for someone. You do have something you can offer to others – take the time to figure it out. When you start putting others before your own needs you will discover that you no longer need approval from the outside world – for you will know deep within that you are enough.

Learn to be grateful for the small things in life: Practicing gratitude turns what you have into enough. Allow yourself to see those little things you overlook on a daily basis – it might be a flower, the chirping of the birds or how the warmth of the sun feels on your skin. Make it a daily practice to try and seek out the extra-ordinary within the ordinary.

If you don't know your passion, then follow your curiosity. Great ideas and experiences come from good questions. If you don’t know the answer or if something intrigues you, then follow it up, it may just take you somewhere new. Following curiosity can get tough. Because to be curious, you have to admit that you don’t know what you’re doing, or where you’re going.

You probably have other things that need to be done, and plenty other sensible directions to follow. And when someone asks you what you’re up to, it’s hard to justify doing something out of sheer curiosity. But if you keep exploring and trusting your curiosity to lead you where it will, you will make some interesting discoveries. Every so often, your curiosity will develop into a new interest, fascination and maybe even a little enthusiasm. And once in a while, you’ll discover something amazing. Something called your “purpose”.

Have a spiritual practice: Do whatever quietens your soul and connects you to that divine being and wisdom within. I have personally found that I have resonated with yoga, meditation and the teachings of the Tao Te Ching. Others find prayer, running or spending time in nature works. When you reconnect with that quiet space within you are more able to hear the whispers and secrets of the and connect with your most authentic self.

Zen and simplify: Declutter your mind and home so that you create the space to grow your passion and purpose. Clutter can make us feel claustrophobic, trapped, stressed and overwhelmed. Create more space to breathe, think, listen and tap into your purpose. If your mind is busy and cluttered then try meditation or quiet time in self-reflection. If your physical space is cluttered then each week work at clearing and organising one space  -it may be your wardrobe, your office desk, your wallet or a kitchen drawer.

Accept where you are today: Accept who you are, where you are and what you have done, for you are unique and are on your own road to self-discovery. So, what if you have made mistakes, they are the greatest learning tools of all time. The key is to learn to accept and appreciate exactly where you are today.

Don’t be affected by what others say or do: When others say things or do things to us that sting us – it has nothing to do with us. Instead it has everything to do with their life journey and how they feel it is going for them.  Their inability to celebrate joy with another reflects their own pain. Remind yourself that those painful words and actions come directly from inside the person saying or doing, they are not a reflection of you. It is crucial when this happens that you do not hand them over your power by allowing them to make you feel bad about yourself. You are perfect the way you are.  Never let another person have the power to dictate how you feel about yourself. When we let go of allowing others to affect how we feel we set ourselves free, giving us the ability to seek out our purpose, passion and what really matters most to us.

Live your truth: Release perfection and embrace authenticity. Don’t do what you think others want to see, show the world who you truly are, the good and the bad. The world resonates with truth, not perfection. Don’t be afraid of being disliked, judged or criticised for speaking your truth – because it will set you free. When you drop the need to fit in with others you develop the courage to live a life that is more purposeful and meaningful for you. From today forward take a deep breath in, allow your heart to open, reconnect with your inner guidance and release all the noise and attachment to anything that is not your honest truth. Dare to walk the path less travelled.

Live with passion: Get excited about life, expel enormous amounts of energy into everything you do. We are all explorers and born with an innate curiosity. What makes you wonder? What are you questioning? What's new in your world? Keep your eyes open and you will be amazed at what you discover. Live each day to explore and experience.

Master your mind: The world is full of endless possibilities and life is way too short to spend years stewing over the negative experiences you have endured. No matter whom you are or how bad your situation is, you can change your life, it just starts with an “I can do attitude”. Your reality is based on your perception and beliefs, if your perception and beliefs are negative then so will be your experience. Negative experiences may have caused you to put limitations on yourself. Whereas positive experiences have probably made you more confident in that area of your life. We are in charge of our own minds, yes society may have initially told us what we are good or bad at, but at the end of the day all that matters is whether we think we can, or we can’t. Master your own mind and don’t accept what others say as the truth. Whether you can do something or not do something all comes down to whether you think you can or cannot do it. And if there are things about you that you just can’t change which puts limits on you – find a way to use your uniqueness in your own unique way. Don’t be limited by what you naturally can’t do – instead choose to thrive because of that limitation.

Redefine your meaning of success: Unfortunately, mainstream society has developed a narrow view of success, viewing success as money, acknowledgment, power, beauty, fame and so forth. However true success comes when you are living a life aligned to your own true nature. Real success happens when you live by your core values and ethics, live each day with intention and self-awareness and do the things that matter most to you.

Release the past: Release negativity by actively working towards healing any resentment, anger, sadness, bitterness, helplessness you have about your own life. Blaming other people for your misfortune only brews resentment and pain within you. When someone hurts you or treats you unkind you could crawl into a dark hole and shut yourself off from the rest of the world.  Or you could bury your pain with cynicism and view the world through eyes of bitterness. But I beg you not to do that. You deserve better. Find ways to forgive the people who have served you up pain and suffering; and then rise strong by seeking wisdom, strength and purpose in your pain.

Trust in your own nature: You have a deep knowing within. You know why you are here or what you are meant to be doing with your life. No one else can tell you what you should be doing. Everything in the universe has a nature. Many of us no longer trust in our own nature. Follow your own nature and not the trappings of life. Stop allowing life, your thoughts and other people to interfere with your own nature. Modern day culture can cause us to take on a set of beliefs where we believe that we are what we do, what others think of us, what we accumulate and so forth. You and your own true nature are more than enough – you don’t need validation or acknowledgement from the outside world.  Trust in your nature and the natural unfolding of your purpose. When in doubt ask the universe “ guide me”.

Drop the need for more: Accumulate less stuff, and give more to others, knowing the more you give the more you become. Take all the things you are attached to and start letting them go. Take your need to be in control of yourself, others, situations and start to trust. Have a wonderful peaceful knowing that everything is all fine. Shift from self-entitlement to radical humility. When you move from a space of lack into one of abundance you will naturally become free within and naturally start attracting more abundance into your life.

Embrace your story: Stop living with regret and instead choose to rise strong by owning your life story with honour. Embrace all your experiences and wear them as badges of honour. Realise that everything you have experienced has held a valuable lesson – learn to share the lesson with those who seek it.

Let go of competing with the world. We all have something unique to bring to the world. When we focus on approval, recognition and so forth – we move further away from who we truly are. The only person you need to be better than is the person you were yesterday. Invest in self-growth and discovery and let go of competition, for anything that is focused on winning or losing will always take you off course.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play competitive sports, it just means that we need to be a better sportsperson. It’s not about becoming the best – it’s about becoming a better competitor on and off the field – are you playing fair, kind, honest. It requires dropping the “I” mentality and embracing a “we” mentality. Are you looking after others or just taking care of yourself? It’s about doing your best, yet not getting disappointed or down on yourself when you don’t win. It’s about bringing your best self forward but not being attached to the outcome. So, whether the competition shows up in sports, in the workplace or comparing yourself to someone else – let it go. You are perfect in your own unique way – and if you dare to show up and share your uniqueness with the world you are doing a great service.

Let go of the perfect outcome: All too often we hold onto things to tightly. We try and control the world around us instead of trusting and allowing that things will come together in their own divine way. All too often we try and force or make things happen which only results in stress, overwhelm and discontentment in life. It is important to do the work to get things into motion, however it is equally important that we release our tight grip and need to control, so that we can create the space for things to unfold in their own divine timing. Let go and allow; trusting that what is meant for you will never go un-missed.

Finding your purpose and creating your masterpiece takes courage, self-mastery and a positive attitude! It takes great bravery to show up in the world as your most authentic self. It is scary to start doing things that may seem unconventional to your family, friends and society. Yes, when you start on your path to self-discovery, you will be required to put yourself in the way of criticism, and judgment from others.

Understand that while your circumstances may determine the colours that you have to work with, the choices that you make day-to-day are in fact, the brushstrokes that will define what your masterpiece looks like.  

To unearth your purpose, it is important to do your best to disconnect from all the gloss, glamour and trappings of modern-day culture so that you can return to your own true nature. Spend time in self-reflection, question why you do the things you do and most importantly follow your curiosity.  

Drop the over-achieving and over-striving mindset, for it only creates struggle, overwhelm and stress. Adopt the less is more mindset. Marinate in quality over quantity. Spend more time connecting with your true nature and seeking things out that matter to you.  

Remove your armour, drop any need you have for validation from outside influences and get to the core of who you really are. What are your ethics and values? What is important to you? What lights you up? Who do you want to become? What is it that you have come to do in this world. How can you spread joy, love and inspiration to others?

Become self-actualised and seek your answers from within. Don’t wait to be saved by a person, a situation or a credential – because truth is that you will be waiting for eternity. All that you seek can be found within, so if you need a little saving maybe turn to yourself for some guidance, direction and support.

Give up taking yourself so seriously! Get your ego out of the way and connect back to kindness, love and creativity—that from which you came. Learn to surrender and bend with the universe as opposed to resisting, it is then that your ‘purpose’ will become clear and you will become the master creator of your own life. Trust the process of life – and trust that you are meant to be where you are today.

If you liked this article then make sure you check out my free Everyday Miracles course here >>>.