How to let go of the pressure of finding your “Life’s Purpose”
There is much discussion about finding our purpose. The one big thing we’ve been placed on this earth to do, create, be. As we head towards the second half of life the pressure increases. We start to panic. Our inner judge chimes in.
Why can’t I figure this out?
My fulfillment and happiness ride on knowing why the hell I’m here.
I know I’m unhappy where I am, I want more meaning and purpose, but don’t even know what that is? Or how to find it. I feel so stuck.
Sound familiar?
Finding our purpose becomes another ‘should’ on our list
We add our inability to define this one overriding purpose to our never-ending list of things we ‘should’ be able to do and then become trapped by the false belief that we can only be happy when/if we discover it.
This concept of our life’s purpose is a big question that I’m not sure our human minds are capable of answering. There is a plan for each of us, but we don’t get to see it as it happens, only in our rearview mirror. As life changes and evolves, our purpose, as it is traditionally defined shifts as well. In the first half of my life, I would have told you that my purpose was to be a mother, but that has shifted as my children have grown and I have experienced my own midlife awakening.
Let’s simplify this. What if we all share one universal purpose?
Tara Mohr, an expert on women’s leadership and wellbeing, provides a reframe to the traditional concept of purpose in her blog post, Debunking the Whole “Life Purpose” Thing. She says:
“Your purpose is to bring more love to this earth. It is to heal where there is brokenness. It is to bring light where there is darkness. It is to restore sanity where insanity reigns, kindness where fear has taken over.”
I love this idea of a universal purpose. Could you imagine how our world could shift if we all lived through the prism of how to be of the greatest service, how to bring more love and light to this earth?
How to connect to your universal purpose
If you can take 1 minute each morning to take two deep breaths, put your hand on your heart and connect to Spirit, the Universe, God, whatever you call that which is greater than you and say:
Please allow me to shine my light and love in the world today.
Please allow me to serve.
Please allow me to heal.
Please use me for good.
With these words in the forefront of your heart as you start every day, you will be guided to the perfect, most interesting, and expansive opportunities to express yourself and find joy. When you are living from the wisdom of your universal purpose the second thing that we usually call purpose, but is actually the manifestation of your purpose, the form it takes at a given time will become clear. Your next right step will open up before you, and it’s your job to have the courage to take it.
I have designed a reminder card with prompts for connecting to your universal purpose. You can put it in your journal, your phone, your laptop whatever works for you. You can download it here.
