Creating Your Life Purpose Statement

Creating your Life Purpose Statement

 

 

In this amazing but fast paced world our culture has become obsessed with accumulating  for the sake of accumulating; information, goods, knowledge, material objects, Facebook friends, etc.  His Holiness the Dali Lama summed it up well:

 

We have more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees, but less sense. ..More knowledge but less judgment. More experts, but more problems. More medicines, but less healthiness. It is a time when there is much in the window but nothing in the room.

 

Each of us looks for fulfillment and happiness in our own way. Sometimes that ‘look’ becomes a scream from within and we have no choice but to look deep within and find a new path. Sometimes we fall into a listless robotic state and feel helpless looking for a way out. The reason we know deep inside we can do better is that we already have a life purpose that has been with us since we were very young. At moments when we experienced a profound sense of being in the flow – being in the right place, at the right time using our gifts – we are likely to be living out our life purpose.

 

The easiest way to find your own life purpose is to look back at our past experiences. Take out pen and paper and jot down a few times and places in your life when you felt ‘in the flow’ ‘on target’ comfortable in your own skin’ ‘made a difference and felt proud about it’. Giving a presentation about something you were passionate about and seeing people respond. Organizing a picnic for a family reunion. Taking care of a relative or close friend when ill.  Next to each one, write a few words about what it was that made it so distinct. Your words should answer some of the following questions:

 

What was essential to my sense of being ‘on purpose’ or ‘in the flow’?

 

What about this experience was richly satisfying?

 

What was of value here for me?

 

How does a purpose statement sound? Here are some examples:

 

My purpose is to build and lead organizations that model the best practices for our industry, are profitable financially and viable long term, and offer dedicated workers meaningful work and sustained employment.

 

The purpose of my life is to proclaim the good news that same-sex married couples live very holy lives and that all of life is holy.

 

The purpose of my life is to create a world of love and empowerment, by loving and empowering myself to others.

 

I’ll close this week’s rant with a quote from Woodrow Wilson, “You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.”

 

Oh, and my own life purpose statement?  Since I share almost everything on my blog and on Facebook..here it is:

 

“My life purpose is to create connection between myself, my family, my clients, and all those I contact to the universal whole of life, through joyfully living and transforming our life challenges into sources of creativity and learning.”

 

Have a peaceful week.

 

Nate Klarfeld