What is my life’s purpose? A question I used to ask myself whilst crying on my bedroom floor, pizza in one hand and existential dread in the other.
Every Sunday I would have the Sunday Scaries, calling my friend to have these deep philosophical conversations about ‘why we are even here’ to which the answers always resulted in having to create meaning to our own life. But why wasn’t I already doing that? How do I do that? I pondered this for the next 10 years…
I soon realised it was because I wasn’t choosing to do the things that were important to me, my values and who I was. Because I didn’t know who I was and instead I was what I thought I had to be in order to be liked, to be relatable, to be agreeable, to be everything else that wasn’t truly me. That is until I chucked all that into the f*ck it bucket.
The Turning Point
As a former High School teacher turned Life Purpose Coach, I’ll be real and let you know my journey to purpose was challenging and emotional. Kind of like trying to assemble IKEA furniture without the manual; frustrating, unfulfilling, lots of red wine, sweaty eyeballs and moments of wanting to give up.
I was in a stable and secure profession, which made it difficult to come out of my comfort zone towards the unknown and seek more. That was until I experienced burnout and got myself into a car crash... weird how the radio still plays after an incident. I knew in that moment it was the turning point for me to make a change in my life.
The first step was to recondition my beliefs about what I thought I should be doing and to find more ways to say yes to the things that aligned with who I truly am.
I soon realised throughout my journey of finding my purpose that it wasn’t just about a career, but it was something so much richer than that. It was to live life purposefully, and by doing so I learnt the importance of silencing the noise around me and choosing what feels important to me.
Finding Purpose
Our life’s purpose is uniquely different for everyone because purpose is not a thing, job, person, or place. It is a feeling; purpose makes you feel excited and expansive.
However, I say that it is not a thing, job, person, or place because we can find ourselves replacing all these things, such as career change, a breakup, not feeling at home in a place and moving and still not feeling truly fulfilled. That is because all of this is external to you, purpose is a personal internal experience, a journey of discovery and it is what is truly aligned and authentic to you.
What is Purpose?
Purpose is connected to your values, passion, identity, and beliefs. Everything else just falls into those places and spaces. For example, I thought I found my purpose as a Life Purpose Coach but during my journey, I soon realised that it wasn’t the career itself, it was the mission within it. The mission being; wanting to support people in living intentionally, breaking free from beliefs and stories that might be holding them back and to fearlessly choose what is in alignment with their values in life.
Everyone has a purpose, but not everyone chooses to use it. Some people have convinced themselves or compromised their situations by staying in their comfort zone and creating excuses as to why they can’t have more or to live the life they want, so they settle for less but always wanting more.
The reason why this happens is because there may be beliefs that their purpose is too big to achieve, or it doesn’t fit in the bullsh*t box of society’s expectations, or they fear the uncertainty of what is to come from going after their dreams.
But life is meant for exploration, to follow our passions, to learn and to discover parts of ourselves, and to have the courage to live a life that feels true to who we are.
The journey might be uncertain, but a fulfilling and rich life is a life that is filled with purpose.
Your turn
So, I implore you to take a moment to reflect on your own journey. Consider the times when you felt most alive or when your heart resonated with a deep sense of fulfilment. What were you doing? What values were you honouring? What is something you can talk about for 30 minutes straight? What do people go to you for advice for? These answers are hints and clues from deep within, guiding you towards your purpose.
Perhaps you've faced challenges or made choices that led you away from your authentic path and that’s ok. Recognise that the journey towards purpose is unique for each of us, filled with twists, turns and learning experiences. This is your invitation to live authentically, with courage and conviction!
To learn more about finding your purpose head here
Apply for 1:1 Life Purpose Coaching with Sakuna here
Sakuna McArthur ~ Holistic Life Purpose Coach
@Undo.U.Wellness