When we look around, it can sometimes feel like everyone has found their purpose. Whether working for a cause, creating beautiful art, teaching, or helping others in times of crisis, many seem to have a clear sense of direction guiding their lives. They know what drives them and why they wake up every day.
The Pressure to Find Purpose There is nothing worse than sitting idly while all the people surrounding you seem to have their lives planned perfectly. Modern culture emphasizes success as well as passion, meaning that if you do not have something that drives people and changes the world, it is easy to feel like a failure.
But here’s the truth: you that it is ok not to have a purpose that looks like anyone else’s on the planet. The purpose is deeply personal. It can be as simple as being a positive force in the lives of the people you are related to or donating your time and effort however little to your society.
Finding Purpose in the Everyday
For most people, the purpose is not one single thing they can learn or achieve but is also realized gradually in everyday practice. It can be the happiness derived from teaching your children something new seeing your friend pull through a rough phase in life or even the simple pleasure of getting your work done right.
It is not about having a purpose as in having a great mission in life, but more about appreciating what makes life worth living today. Do not wait for that drastic change, one moment, think about those things that give you the feeling of accomplishment.
Kendall Bronk, who leads the Adolescent Moral Development Lab at Claremont Graduate University, suggests that people often discover their sense of purpose in two main ways: Of the two, reception skills, being learned either in an organic way by going through life experiences or by way of developing skills and engaging in planned activities. I point out that simply telling someone else what is most important to you can make you think more deeply about your own life and career.
From her studies with the youth, Bronk learned that most teenagers discover their reasons to live after going through some sort of test. For instance, a teenager who experiences discrimination will develop the desire to fight for civil rights, and on the other hand, a teenager who has been… Therefore, one can only come out of such hurdles like poverty or health with the help from other people. Still according to Bronk, at the bottom of it, having the support of a caring family, close friends, co-workers of peers with similar values as well as role models ensures that young people transform their difficulties into incentives. The same is true for adults too.
Whereas difficult experiences can be encouraging to find direction, Bronk also notes that everyone has more of a complex process of finding meaning and calling. It tends to be a combination of learning from school and personal experience, support from other people matters here. Furthermore, her studies indicate that an active search for tools and exercises can indeed begin this process. In their quantitative paper, the concept of purpose in life proposed by Bronk and her colleagues where they explored the activities as perceived intrinsic meanings of purpose, which can enhance engagements known to young adults, positively influenced activities that involved identifying their values, interests, and strengths as well as positive emotions such as gratitude.
Everyday Moments That Lead to Purpose
Sometimes, the purpose is not with a big plan at all but with small steps toward achieving the goal. For instance, a friend can begin painting as a hobby during the pandemic and later find out that it is something that makes them happy they have never done it before. Or they could assist in a local food bank when offering to help around as a co-worker and discover that he or she loves to serve the needy.
These life narratives are strong evidence that people do not have to be oriented to achieve clarity in life. MBO can develop from basic activities, pastimes, or maybe chance occurrences. This means one can not close him or herself off to new things and just wait to see what happens next.
Practical Steps to Discover Your Purpose
- Start with Small Actions
In finding purpose one doesn’t need to make drastic changes in their life. Do not pressure yourself to make huge changes you should first begin by discovering what you enjoy. Go out of your comfort zone, look for opportunities to volunteer, or start doing something you’ve thought of doing for a while. Just reestablishing with something you had a passion for doing when you young age – drawing writing or helping people could give clues about what makes you happy. Thus, purpose can be revealed in single actions instead of one tremendous decision that changes a person’s life. - Ask Yourself the Right Questions
To give you a clearer picture of what you are all about, consider questions that drill down into who you are. What tasks would you say make you lose track of time or you get bored doing them? What activities that demand your effort or strength inspire you in one way or another? There are few situations in which you are most like the authentic self. Focusing on such questions may lead you to what your actual interests and passions are, thereby providing you with an answer when you ask yourself ‘What do I want?’ You should always pay respect to those patterns since they indicate your direction to your purpose. - Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
The world is plagued with a race to the top, which leads to comparing your journey to others and ouch, I see friends and colleagues these days who seem to have their lives so perfectly perfect. But remember, one person’s ladder is different from another person’s ladder. Your purpose isn’t to be like anyone else, it’s for you, just you. So the most important thing is to find something that makes life worth living for and not trying to live up to someone else’s idea of a good life. In doing all these, avoid putting much effort into things that go against your conscience because they are wrong.
In a world that is wired to appreciate big things done, it is important to note that the smallest thing done to someone, even if it is done with the intention of serving can be extremely purposeful.
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