Step 5 : Purpose, Define it

What is your Purpose?

A few years back I was asked the question: “What is your Purpose?”. It was not easy for me to give a straightforward answer as at the time I was still trying to figure out what my true Purpose was. I can now relate to and understand why I found it difficult to answer this simple question, as I was hardly thriving, rather just in survival mode. (Refer to my blog)

Shifting from Surviving to Thriving Mode

Being merely in surviving mode, you are in a state of disconnection with yourself and unable to see clearly what your heart truly desires and feels. I spent the earlier years of my life doing all the ‘right’ things, which I believed were the way to my freedom and happiness. Until I hit a wall eventually where I was forced to re-calibrate and dig deep to find the ‘real me’.

I used to spend a lot of my energy stressing about unnecessary issues, worrying about outcomes over which I had no control, thinking that I was being pro-active by pre-empting, and worrying about the worst scenarios possible. I was totally unaware that in so doing I was further fueling my already overly protective mode, living in apprehension and self-induced stress.

Later I realized that to thrive or not to thrive is a choice and demanded a shift in my attitude and outlook on life and my beliefs. In the EP7 program, we define Purpose as :

“The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. To be empowered by purpose is to acknowledge the intentions that come directly from your heart. When you are clear about your purpose, you can surround yourself with people, situations and activities that support and consistently satisfy it.”

The Road to Finding My True Purpose

Purpose is at the mercy of our imagination, and it is up to us to create Purpose in our lives. It was only after overcoming my health challenges (go to https://health2bfree.com for previous posts) that I realised how unsustainable my life had been until then. My silver lining came with my decision of starting my health2free blog and sharing my story, as for the first time in my life I made a choice which came from my heart, and it was amazingly empowering! Creating the blog rekindled my imagination and my creative juices which I had parked off in a corner of my mind, collecting spider webs. It opened my eyes to all the dogmatic beliefs that had kept me stuck for years, and prevented me from tapping into my forgotten imagination, creativity and innovation.

person holding black and white quote-printed card

”Logic puts us under a spell where we do not question, just accept. Imagination is our passport to soften away from logic and be open to other possibilities and be in tune with the language of our hearts. It is the road to finding our individuality and our true Purpose”

How to Re-connect with Ourselves

We now understand that to find our real Purpose we need to first find ourselves, reconnect and rediscover what empowers us and makes us spring out of bed every day with excitement and happiness!

Below are some tips that have been shared with me by others, and some of my own personal ones:

The Power of Letting Go

Let go of any expectations of you that come from peer pressure, family or work that are toxic and do not resonate with your values. If these expectations are not aligned with your true self, let them go before they take over!

Inner Stillness and Connection with Self

In previous posts and podcasts we have talked about how difficult it is to find inner stillness and calm our minds, immunized from all distractions. The first step is to make a conscious effort to switch off our electronic devices for at least one hour a day and do something during that time that really makes us happy! It can be a walk or creative activities such as playing music, writing, decorating a cake, arts and craft, exercise, and the list goes on!

Practice Kindness to others and Gratitude

Kindness and Gratitude uplifts those around you, and in return give you a sense of purpose, which is very empowering

person reaching black heart cutout paper

Treat life as an amazing playground

There are so many opportunities around you if you are willing to open your heart to them. Get rid of fear of the unknown and treat every opportunity that comes by as a great adventure to experience!

Let go of complaints and judgement

Learn to become mindful of not complaining and judging too much, but rather focus on what you love and admire, as this will have the result of creating a mind shift for love and abundance instead

Avoid exposure that causes mental confusion

Social media, fear-based news reports and too much TV are some of the stimuli that create mental confusion. Take back your time and rather focus on something that will help you grow

Spend quality time with family and friends

Although having ‘me’ time is important, spending quality time with family and friends is as important. Encourage family time by creating joint activities, like going on a hike, picnic, dinner together. Make time for your friends too! Good friends are hard to find and so important to our mental wellbeing.

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Keep a journal

One of the best ways to voice out your true intentions and feelings is to write about them. It helps to find clarity in your thoughts, and often a way of coming up with the answers you are looking for