Is it possible to lose our purpose, even as we chase it?
I had an idea for this week’s post but abandoned it at the last moment. I wasn’t feeling the message was good enough. I sat and analyzed my upcoming topics I wanted to share in the coming weeks, but nothing was motivating me to write. To tell the truth, I seemed to have lost my thoughts on blog topics in recent weeks. As I contemplated many things, it occurred to me that I have been struggling with my internal dialogue. In the process of wanting to create meaningful topics for my readers I have missed sharing my purpose for this blog platform I have created. To say I have lost my way, could be accurate. I needed to reconnect to myself, so I reviewed a few surveys I have done on myself. I looked at the results of the Clifton Strength Finder 2.0 and DISC assessments I have taken in the past few years. It is very astounding, how close the results are to who I am. Reviewing this information brought me back to my reasons for doing this blog. Do you remember the reasons you’re chasing, that put you on the path you are on today?
Growth is the most important purpose we should tackle. You can refer to it as growth, self-improvement, personal development, or simple goal achievement. I know I have used these terms interchangeably throughout my blog writings. Call the idea of growth what you want but never lose the reasons or your purpose. We must ask how we plan to be better today than we were yesterday or today vs. tomorrow. We serve ourselves best, by having a plan. We must have steps we take each day to gain more ground or improve. There are a variety of things we may choose to improve on. We may want to make improvements in our relationships, at work, or in learning a new task. Having a process to improve is most important. You can explore this by listing all the tasks you do to make improvements in your life. After you make a list, you then should place them on a schedule. If you use a planner regularly, putting time to task ensures it get attention.
Silencing our critics keeps us on track. As I have shared several times it is critical to silence the people around us who judge our every action. We also have an internal voice that casts judgement on our actions. In most cases we are harder on ourselves than anyone else. We create unfounded perceptions as to how we believe people see us. Have confidence in your efforts and keep climbing and clawing towards whatever you are chasing. We waste so much time with the relentless negative voices in our heads. We think of ourselves as not smart enough, not gifted enough, or whether people are judging us. Stop casting doubt on your gifts. Keep showing up and achieving your goals. You are in control!
Helping others to see their potential and reach personal goals or fulfill life-filling purposes. The reason we exist as a human race is to help others. We all try to achieve this to some capacity. This can be as simple as opening a door for someone or sharing a smile at the appropriate time. We step into another level when we offer a helping hand or aid in a project. I believe the highest level of helping other is to assist them in meeting a goal or achieving some high-level life purpose. Everyone is chasing some grand purpose. Imagine for a moment how these individuals would feel if they knew we were all willing to help them achieve it. As a parent, isn’t that what we sometimes do, help our kids reach for the stars? What a world it would be if we helped our friends and co-workers to achieve their goals in life. Some may be thinking that they are unable to offer such assistance to others. This is so untrue. Talk to the people in your lives, hear their wants and needs, or what makes them excited about life. You might be surprised how much you could help someone.
How do you ensure growth and personal improvement?
Are you listening to the positive voices and conversation?
How are you assisting others to see their potential or reach goals?
When you lose focus, how do you get yourself back on track?
In our efforts to achieve our purpose we can get lost in the shuffling of ideas and steps. We are so tied to a process that we lose sight of key concepts that make up our purpose in life. That purpose we chase is vital to who we are, and we must keep the ideas in the forefront of our lives. Thank you so much for checking in this week, I hope you keep a purpose close to your heart. Keep chasing what excites you in life because it is probably tied to your life’s purpose!
Steven C. Bucks-Leading Conversations
