Is there a Purpose to my Life?
No doubt this article has attracted your attention because you either want to find your purpose, are fed up with your current purpose or are wondering whether there is a need for a purpose at all.
Many people believe their role in life is their purpose. They never look further afield from being a Mother, Father, Son, Daughter, Husband, Wife, or even best friend. Then there’s the roles we take on in our careers. The list goes on and on. But is having a role the answer to the question ‘is there a purpose to my life?’ Or is there something more?
Some people are born with a sense of purpose, even from a very young age. They are quite adamant that their life will follow a pathway that is entirely related to their purpose. They are steadfast in their beliefs, and many can be found in their adult years living the very life they spoke about when they were young. These people are often thought of as ‘lucky’, because they know where they’re going in their life – all because they have a purpose.
In listening to these ‘lucky’ people, they often refer to the driving desire within them to find the time, energy and ability to fulfil their purpose. They are often motivated by their passion to succeed, and have an amazing ability to overcome any obstacle that stands between them and their purpose. Simply, their purpose has given them meaning to their lives.
However, whilst some people believe they are born with a purpose, and from the very get-go they know what they want to do and how they’re going to do it, there are many others who discover their purpose later on in their lives. I am one of these people.
At 18 years of age I had this strong inner feeling, which I must admit was quite unsettling at the time, that my life wasn’t going to go quite the way I thought. It wasn’t until I was 30 that I discovered exactly what that meant. My purpose had arrived! Some would call it a ‘near-death experience’, but I would rather refer to it as an ‘awakening’. From that moment on, my life changed. What was familiar, even routine, became unfulfilling and mundane. I found it hard to relate to every-day life, and my need to understand what had happened to me became over-powering.
I didn’t go looking for it, it came looking for me! My journey into unraveling the purpose to, not only my life, but life itself, had begun. It wasn’t very comfortable or even comforting at the start, but my experience ‘kick-started’ me into action. Many of my beliefs fell away, as the struggle of being the person my family and friends once knew me to be was overshadowed by who I was becoming. I now had a purpose, and that purpose was all-consuming.
That was many, many years ago. Since then my purpose has taken me on a journey of amazing experiences and discovery. I won’t say it was easy, because it wasn’t. Having a purpose is really hard work, as well as bringing about changes you aren’t always prepared for. But in saying that, my purpose has been the greatest gift, and in great humility I am so thankful. It has brought me here .. to this point … sharing through ‘The Journey Home’ what I have learnt and what I have discovered.
So is there a purpose to your life? If you have asked the question, and the only answer you have is that feeling of emptiness in the pit of your stomach, then you’re looking for something more than you’re getting out of life. You need a purpose, and you need it soon! It’s amazing how that inner part of ourselves competes with our everyday patter. When you feel restless, even lonely, have an empty feeling inside you that nothing seems to fill, then your inner self is telling you that there’s something you’re missing. So don’t listen to the patter of your consciousness that tells you, “You’re crazy, everything is okay, go find a book or watch TV”. It’s time to take stock of what your needs are. It’s time to find purpose to your life.
Now at this point, I need to explain that having a purpose doesn’t mean you have to dedicate your whole life to a cause. For some it does, but for others their purpose is entirely different. Having a purpose is a personal thing.
I have often been asked “can you have more than one purpose?” The answer is yes, absolutely! There are so many people in the world today who are actively pursuing more than one purpose. Your purpose may be all-consuming and be a part of your life until you die. Or you may have a purpose that is more short-term. For example, you may decide your purpose involves learning how to fly a small plane, or traveling the world, or even climbing a mountain.
When you feel you have achieved your purpose, you may decide to continue to fly planes, do more traveling, or even climb more mountains. There again, you may call it quits and say “there, I’ve done it!” That driving need to do something may disappear, and with it goes your purpose.
However, I have met many people who do not feel there is a need for a purpose at all. They have chosen to travel the pathway of ‘experience’ instead. They do not have something to strive for, to be there for, or to find fulfillment in. Instead they are ‘the experiencers’. Their journey through life relies upon the unknown and unexpected. They do not have any expectations of themselves, nor do they rely upon the opinions or expectations of others. So the question remains – “Is there a purpose to my life?” Only you can answer that.
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This blog was written by Diane Swaffield. Read by loving husband, Jason, in dedicated and inspired memory of Diane.
If you would like to take a further step towards creating the life you want, and the future you deserve, I have created a Program titled ‘Creating the Future you want‘, which is available under the Mind Travel section of The Journey Home website. This program will take you on a personal journey, mind travelling forward in time to view and experience your ‘most likely future’. You will then travel back in time to heal your past, become empowered to make change, then experience a guided Mind Travel exercise to create and experience your ‘new future’.
You can read more of Diane’s remarkable story by visiting the free eBook page.
