I was thinking about what it means to live an intentional life. It seems to be a popular thing to proclaim. But, have you ever asked yourself what it really means? Living your life with intention is all about living according to plans you have made to accomplish some goal or objective. On the surface that sounds great, but everyone makes plans. Maybe a deeper way to consider it is to add in why you are making the plans you make. If your “why” is the real driver, there must be some purpose behind doing what you do. Each of us living on the earth today have something about us that makes us different from other people. We have things we love to do, when time stands still while we are doing it. There are aspects of our lives where we excel, almost effortlessly. There is something we love to give to others even expecting nothing in return. These seemingly insignificant clues point us in a certain direction. They lead us in the direction of our life purpose. Admittedly, to say something is your life purpose is a heady proposition. To ask someone their life purpose will usually end in a blank look or a prolonged stare, not because the question is unanswerable, but because the question seems so grand. But, is it so grand? Does your life purpose have to be somewhat epic potentially initiating drastic changes in the world? Or, can it be something much more simple? Everyone living has some purpose to fulfill with the only requirement being to figure out what that is. In an interdependent world, no one’s life purpose can be dismissed or be found unnecessary. If you are serious about living an intentional life, your first task will always be to identify your purpose; your life purpose. Are you ready?
At IntentOne, we believe the starting point for making any significant changes in your life is to be clear about what it is you must accomplish in order to be true to yourself. We have all spent time on the other side of that idea. When we are not being true to ourselves we sort of go through the motions, playing a role that others find acceptable. Certainly we can still give and serve, but our service won’t fulfill us at our deepest levels. For any change to be meaningful and impactful, it must somehow align with who we are inside. The beauty of life is that we get to decide exactly what that is. We get to choose and with that there are no right or wrong answers. There is no complexity involved and I’ll add, there are no measurements regarding how big or small that purpose might be. Who is to say what is more meaningful? Your purpose might be to make pretty flower arrangements that warm people’s hearts. Mine might be to write things that help people feel better about themselves. In this, both of us are providing a valuable service to our fellow man. One person’s purpose may affect millions, while another person’s far less. Yet both are necessary and both serve as an expression of ourselves functioning where we are the most happy to function. In order to find your true life purpose, you have to stop trying to make it so grandiose and life changing and simply let it be what it is. There are not higher and lower life purposes, only that which is true for you in light of the person you are or would like to become.
Your life purpose may be considered your guiding light. It is something that underlies every meaningful decision that you make. It serves to inform you if you are heading in the direction that most suits you and presents the most opportunity for you to give in your own unique capacity. As such, your life purpose cannot be something that only serves yourself or else why would you have it to give? To accomplish or achieve even at the highest levels implies some benefit for other people. Sure, you can achieve greatly without any thought of helping someone else, but you aren’t going to be fulfilled in the process. You aren’t going to meet your deepest needs down in your heart, but you don’t need me to tell you that. Knowing your life purpose or, if you prefer, your purpose in life, is your north star that guides all of your other actions. It is the “why,” your reason why. If there is no why there is no point. There is always a reason we do the things that we do and sometimes the reason isn’t positive or beneficial. Thus, your reasons why should always have good motives. Life absent helping or giving to others will soon lose value and meaning. But, if you are willing to take the time to pinpoint your purpose or purposes, the actions you must take, the goals you must pursue, the objectives you plan to accomplish, all will fall in line for you. Maybe your life purpose requires considerable financial resources in order to be viable. Perhaps your life purpose requires that you be strong and healthy in order to carry it out. Possibly your life purpose requires you to learn certain difficult lessons in order to be able to help someone else with the same issues. Whatever it is, your highest priority values should lead you to that accomplishment; your values being that which you value the most. Living an intentional life is living a life with values. It is a purpose driven life.
The answer to the question of your life purpose should be easy. What do you enjoy doing the most? What things thrill your heart? What gives you the most satisfaction? What makes you the happiest version of yourself? Spend your time there. Exert your effort there. In this, no one can determine your life purpose but yourself for no one knows yourself more than you do. The world will be infinitely better off as a result of you acting in accordance with your purpose. You will be infinitely better off for acting in accordance with your purpose as well. Don’t overthink it or obsess over it. It will be obvious for you. We only overthink it when we seek to live according to others’ expectations for us. It doesn’t have to be grand or huge or world changing. It only has to be you, living as you, impacting the world as you. What is your life purpose? It is the precursor to living an intentional life!
“Inspiration on Demand!”