Let’s face it, if you felt disconnected pre-pandemic then it’s likely COVID-19 broadened that divide into a crippling disconnectedness leaving you feeling lost. For you, finding your purpose matters now more than ever because creating a connection to it can restore a sense of meaning, groundedness, and well-being even amidst the uncertainty of our times.
These five steps can help you (re-) identify your purpose:
Live in Joy: Follow Your Bliss
When you’re happy you are living your purpose. That’s it. No riddle me this or riddle me that. To find your joy, follow your passions because they never fail to lead you to your purpose. When I was in kindergarten I began playing ‘school’ because being a ‘teacher’ was fun, and that never stopped. I love teaching. Teaching is my purpose. When you were a kid what did you chose to play? What do you wish you had hours to do now? What matters most to you? What makes you the happiest? Your answers are not random, they are your calling.
Your Uniqueness is Your Gold Mine: Identify What Makes You Different As a kid what made you stand out from everybody else? While what made you different may have been considered by some as a negative or a fault, typically that uniqueness turns out to be your greatest gift(s). Then consider what came natural to you. Likely you took those attributes for granted, wrongly assuming it must be effortless for everyone else too. Combine your differences, what always came natural to you, and what you love to do, and a picture of your purpose begins to emerge.
You Are Worthy: You Have Nothing to Prove
Dismiss any notion that your purpose is tied to your worthiness. You were born worthy, there is nothing you need to do to prove yourself. Whether or not you know your purpose or are living in your purpose, your worthiness is constant and inextinguishable.
Your Feelings Are Your Guide: Pay Attention and Aim for Joy
Pre-COVID and barring chemical or hormonal imbalances, being unhappy and feeling unworthy as a perpetual state of being is a sign of being disconnected from your purpose.
On this scale where do you fall:
- 0-3: You’re doing what fulfills you and aligns to what matters most to you
- 4-7: You’re doing what’s necessary to meet responsibilities but it’s not fulfilling or bringing you joy
- 8-10: Your dissatisfaction is prompting change (When you don’t take heed and make shifts, this state of dis-ease has the potential to make you sick)
If you find it difficult to home in on what brings you joy, set an intention and make an effort each day to do something that makes you happy. Doing so helps lift the fog that’s keeping your purpose elusive.
You Deserve Happiness: Be Unapologetic in Claiming Yours
You deserve to be happy and that’s totally possible when you’re all fired up with excitement and joy from living life on purpose. You and your purpose are different than anyone else’s so knowing what you want and going for it is not selfish, it is being authentic to who you are. There’s plenty of room for everyone to live their best life in the fulfillment of their dreams so once you know what lights your fire, be unapologetic in stepping into those shoes you were born to fill.
The most important thing you can do for yourself during this pandemic is to take care of yourself from the inside out. Discovering and living your life on purpose does just that through connection and meaning, thereby bringing a sense of peace and overall well-being.