So you did it, you figured out your purpose; you know exactly what you were called to do, but perhaps you’ve been stuck? Unsure exactly how to start and exactly how to turn your purpose into reality. Maybe you’re paralysed by your thought of the sheer size of the task in front of you and all the possible obstacles you may face. Or worse these obstacles have started to rear their ugly head once you got started on living your purpose.
So how exactly do you make your purpose a reality?
Let’s take a step back for a moment; let’s examine and ensure a few things before we get to that all-important part of this journey.
What your Purpose Is Not
It isn’t about your ego
Firstly, ensure that your purpose is not actually just your ego speaking. Now, this isn’t me trying to dampen your hard work, it’s me helping you ensure your purpose truly aligns with your soul, your highest self. I believe a true non-ego-driven purpose is based not on say just getting rich but on giving back to the world and for some of us, it includes paying homage to our creator.
You ask where am I in this equation? Well, I’ll get there in a second. You see when your purpose is about you secondary and by that I mean your ego, it allows you to make it what it is supposed to be about. That is, about using the talents you were blessed with to make the world a better place. So ask yourself, does my purpose utilise my gifts, and does it make a difference to others? If the answer is yes then let’s move forward.
Now how you fit in, is that when you share your talents with the world, you allow your most authentic self to shine through.
Your purpose is more than just personal desires
Let me explain this further. Your purpose is your talent shaped around what speaks to your soul; your principles. For instance, wanting to be married and have a family is a want and absolutely an important one you should pursue if that is your dream. But for it to be purpose then it would read more like “My purpose is to inspire others to believe and realise lasting love exists”, and a happy marriage in this example could certainly add to furthering your ability to do this.
This doesn’t mean that your purpose is not something you desire, often we find our purpose is what our soul desires and we, our minds are too afraid to see the possibility. Therefore it is easier to make it a, if I could have this then I would want it, so it’s easier if I convince myself I don’t want it at all. Make no mistake your purpose will be your deepest desire. From your purpose you not only will have what you need but you will let go of the superficial wants you have.
Your purpose is not unrealistic
You can’t turn your purpose into reality if it’s not realistic. It needs to fit into your reality, your situation as it is not how you wish it to be. I do believe dreams come true but I also believe we are human and sometimes we have to take on board some of what the neurotic mind has to say. For instance, have you decided your purpose is to build 200 orphanages and you’re 80 years old with only a moderate pension or savings?
Granted I too believe and want you to live to 100 plus years and yes you could win the lottery. But perhaps make your purpose that you will build an orphanage that enriches 200 children and from there you will likely build more or pass on the legacy to your family to continue this.
And by the way yes even at 80 you are not too old to realise your purpose and to start! It is only too late when we go back to our creator, until then we strive and we grow. So well done! You have a purpose that is based on your principles and values, which serve others, and it’s big but not going to give you indigestion daily.
Now for the fun part, beginning this amazing and exciting journey.
Here are the 10 ways to turn your purpose into reality, in fact, this is exactly how I am now living my purpose.
This is not the time to be woolly about your purpose, your life mission. You should be able to write your purpose down in a few sentences, to be able to articulate it to someone else.
For instance, your purpose could be to “help others find lasting love by sharing my gift as a healer and teacher of manifestation”.
You cannot begin your journey if you do not know where you’re going. So you now have your Life Mission Statement, that is your purpose, written down; you now need to have a map as to how you intend to get there, and what ‘there’ will look like. See here for How To Create Your Soulful Personal Development Plan
Creating a map allows you to break down your purpose into manageable small chunks. It gives you actionable goals and keeps you motivated when you achieve each step. It shows you where you are and where step next you need to take or adjust.
Create your Soulful Personal Development Plan. I also love to create mood boards, which provides me with a visual representation of my purpose. By being able to see your purpose daily, you continue to connect to it and before you know it, your subconscious begins to utilise its power to manifest it.
Research your purpose, don’t presume you have no learning to do to start. Research those who have done something similar, perhaps you can get inspiration from them on how to start. Before starting my blog I knew nothing about running a blog, I read a lot and asked even more questions. Reach out to anyone you know and even don’t yet know- via social media and gather information.
It may be that your purpose involves starting a new business and as such there may be a need to acquire new skills. There may be a need to get out of your comfort zone. I had to learn about social media, I had to learn to get comfortable with sharing my thoughts, showing vulnerability, and being ok with some people not connecting to it.
I have studied aspects of business, finance, and branding in order to make my purpose a reality. And no you do not need to spend loads of money or years doing this learning, I bought a few books and completed some online courses. Work with your budget and spend only the necessary time you need, do not use this as an excuse to not get started.
Choose a role model now and later a mentor, both I believe are necessary. A role model shows you just how the person who has achieved part if not all you wish to did it. Now it’s not for you to try to be them but rather to learn from their mistakes. Yes you heard me, I study inspirational women like Maya Angelou, Michelle Obama, and JK Rowling not only to see how they did it but how they dealt with failures. Because you must expect failures, as these will teach you how to do it better on your next try.
You do not need to wait to have a role model who you have physical access to, if you can better, if not choose someone in the public eye who appears to model the values you live by and has achieved something that either is in direct relation to your purpose or aids towards your personal growth. Your role model can even be someone no longer alive- read about their work, study them, and take the information you need to go after your purpose with hunger.
It’s inevitable there will be someone who thinks you’re crazy for pursuing your purpose. Because that’s just it when you live in purpose you will not look like everybody else. You need to get comfortable in this space and remember that often those who don’t believe in you are envious of the fact you have been able to take a leap that they were too afraid to take. So build an extremely thick skin and even thicker faith in God and yourself.
Trust me, it doesn’t exist; the perfect time. Something, be it life, be it your mind will come up to try to distract you off course. Your job is to start and trust that the obstacles will be dealt with along the way.
Remember that you will not get to the end result tomorrow. Focus on the moment, on enjoying the process. In addition, focus on your growth during this and keep motivated by remembering your ‘why’. The question you have to ask is if I never got rich from this would I still dedicate my life to living this purpose? if the answer is no then this isn’t your purpose or you haven’t found a good enough ‘why’.
I realised the other day when I was working on my book that I would still share my gift of being a storyteller regardless if it only helped 1 person or 1 million. It feeds my soul, I know I do it not just for the opportunity to be extremely successful at it but to use it as a vehicle of being a healer, of inspiring others to live their most abundant and truest expression of themselves.
You also need to have faith that whilst it is not your main reason for pursuing your purpose; by helping others through sharing your gift that the by-product will be a success.
Now it’s time to start and shut off the excuses your mind finds. So examine your purpose ensuring it is rooted in your calling and using your talent to make the world a better place. Then work through the 10 steps above, take your time, these steps may take months and that’s ok. And always remember to believe in yourself and trust the process.
I truly hope that this helps you start or continue building your purpose and sharing your talent with the world. If you need help staying focused then read these 6 Ways to Stay Focused in a Distracted World
I would love to hear how you started making your purpose a reality!
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