Finding Your Life’s Purpose: 15-Questions To Shorten Your Search
Posted on September 16, 2008
Filed Under It's all about Happiness
These days, it seems like everyone is searching for their “life’s purpose.” If you look around, you might notice that most people seem to be doing what they’re told – just like when we were kids. And most of those people, who are just trying to be good people, seem to be unhappy, unhealthy, and unfulfilled. Why do so many people do only what they’ve been told to do, or only what they think they have to do, or do what they do without asking or understanding why they’re doing it – especially when it’s not working for them? And why ask, “Why?”, when you can just follow orders, right?
The fact is you’ll never find your own way following others. I used to think I was just lucky; I always seemed to have a purpose. Then I realized that I was always inquisitive; and I only followed “the rules” until I was interested in doing something else. And, if I didn’t understand a rule, I asked questions; and if I didn’t like a rule, I took my chances doing things my way. I learned a lot that way – a lot of things people who spend their lives following rules will never know. Along the way, I discovered how my questions – and my willingness to listen to the subsequent answers – had created my entire life. I was always living on purpose because I was always determining my own purpose by always thinking for myself and making my own decisions and choices.
I can’t tell you what your life’s purpose is other than to say that the purpose of all Life is expression; and, likewise, your purpose is to express something. When most people talk about their “life purpose,” they are usually referring to what they should be doing with their time. Most people get that information by asking OTHER PEOPLE, “What should I do?” Try asking yourself! That’s the secret to finding YOUR life’s purpose; ASK YOURSELF. You’re the only one who knows.
You might be thinking to yourself, “If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking!” Here’s a secret few people realize: The part of you that knows is not the same part of you that’s asking. Part of you observes your outer world from within; and another part of you observes your inner world from within. The part looking out can get answers and guidance from the part looking in. The ancient wisdom tells us, “Ask and you will receive,” and “Seek and you will find;” you must ask yourself the truly important questions, and then look and listen for the answers that follow, in order to own the answers to those questions.
I always asked what I thought were important questions. I ask things like, “Why do people suffer?” or “How do our thoughts affect our physiology and outer experience?” Then, sometime later, I would have new thoughts on the subject that help me see the same issue from a new perspective; the old questions are answered and new ones take their place. But, if you are seeking a specific kind of growth, or specific answers to problems or questions in a certain area of your life, then you need to ask specific questions. Below are some questions you should consider asking yourself if you are searching for your life’s purpose. The answers to these questions should help you get pointed in the right direction.
1. What do you love doing?
2. What is the most helpful or useful thing you know how to do?
3. What is the most enjoyable thing you know how to do? Why?
4. What is the scariest thing you know how to do? What’s the scariest thing you’ve done?
5. What do you want to do? What are you afraid of? What is your biggest fear?
6. What are you afraid of? What is your biggest fear?
7. What were you doing the last time you “lost yourself,” or lost track of time?
8. What purpose do you currently serve, or what purpose did you use to think you served?
9. When you were younger, what did you want to be “when you grew up?”
10. What have you always wanted to do?
11. What are your natural talents? Do you enjoy using them?
12. Why don’t you do what you want or love to do?
13. What can you do, right now, to serve others or help someone in some way?
14. Are you sure you aren’t already serving some purpose or helping someone?
15. Can you be happy doing nothing?
Ask yourself these questions, and as many others as you can think of. Don’t worry if you don’t immediately know the answer; you may have to sleep on it. There’s no telling how long it might take for some or all of these answers to come; but just looking at these questions is all it takes for some people to get an idea, answer, or a piece of information that leads to the next step or opens the next door in this experience. Your purpose is to live and be as happy as possible while doing it – without infringing on the happiness and well-being of others. How you do that is up to you. If you need guidance, all you have to do is ask. Just ask yourself first.
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The Belief Formula
Hello you two! What good work you are always doing! When I teach and write about manifestation, I take people all the way back to what in Kabbalah is called Adam Kadmon, the blueprint for all creation. Housed in that blueprint is also a personal blueprint, or each person’s soul’s purpose. I ask them to try and figure out what their unique gift is or what special talent they have or what they feel passionate about doing. And if they can work on consciously creating from that place, it’s amazing how quickly they can manifest what they want.
All that to say, I think it is so important to know your soul’s purpose, but it can be difficult for some people to figure it out. But life is so much more pleasant when we “come from” that purpose in everything we do. This is especially true when it comes to work…
Keep up the good work, which obviously constitutes both of your souls’ purpose.