Have you ever asked yourself ‘Why you’re here?’ If you’re like most people, the answer is undoubtedly yes. We have all asked what the purpose of our lives is; the human experience is void without meaning. In fact, did you know that a sense of meaning and purpose is absolutely critical to your mental health? In his landmark bestseller, Man’s Search for Meaning, Dr Viktor Frankl (a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps in WWll) details the necessity of purpose.
As a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Frankl discovered that depression subsides, aggression dissipates, and anxiety recedes when we have a sense of purpose. Now, I don’t necessarily even know you but I am going to make a bold statement: You have a purpose; there is a reason for your life. I’ll tell you what, you are not on this planet to live in a meaningless way. There is a reason for your existence, and I’m going to be even bolder and suggest that it may be three things.
1. To Fully Live
Your purpose is to live fully, to absorb everything around you, to enjoy, explore, and experience life. We all know the expression, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” How can you live more boldly by embodying this idea? Here are a few thoughts to give you some inspiration:
- See your time here as an electrifying adventure: Here today, gone tomorrow. That’s the story of life for all of us—our time is limited. For this reason, you should try to create and capture moments that colour your life with the uniqueness that makes it worth living. You do this by seeing your life as an adventure made up of experiences! Make each one as special as possible.
- Do not wait or hesitate: Do you have something in your life that has been gnawing at you? Maybe it’s starting your own business? Or moving to a new city (or country)? Whatever the case, living fully means honouring those things that your intuition calls you to do. It may be scary, but it’s often the most terrifying thing calling us to an adventure that turns out to be the most rewarding.
- Learn to be present: In today’s world, we’re more distracted than ever. As a result, learning to become present in your everyday life is now a superpower. By cultivating presence, you can be at ease with yourself and the world around you, regardless of your current situation. Try journaling or meditating to develop the ability of presence.
2. To Fully Love
I’ll tell you what, it’s important to understand we are not here just to live for ourselves. We are also here to love, to care for and support others. This is part of what makes life special. When you can step out of your own needs and wants by focusing on the needs and wants of others, a new world of possibilities will open up to you.
And keep in mind, you don’t need to donate a million dollars to charity or build water wells in Africa to do this. Loving others can be as simple as:
- Surprising loved ones with a phone call
- Spending time with people you care about
- Smiling at strangers as you go about your daily life
- Making a meal for your significant other without harbouring any ulterior motives
- Taking a friend out to lunch
- Buying a stranger a coffee
- Giving money to people less fortunate
- Volunteering at an animal shelter, etc.
There are so many ways to give love in this world. A little forethought and creativity will quickly reveal plenty of good ideas of what you could do to contribute to the lives of others in a meaningful way.
3. To Fully Lead
You are here to make a difference. The world is a lesser place without your light shining within it. For this reason, understanding that you are a true leader is essential to living out your purpose. Leadership requires that better version of yourself. And guess what? That version of you is waiting to be unlocked and tapped into. You have unlimited potential, and accessing it is simply a matter of doing the right things, such as:
- Setting and working on your goals
- Building positive relationships
- Developing healthy and productive habits
- Forgiving yourself for past mistakes/failures
- Becoming clear on who you want to be
- Creating a vision for your life
- Seeing setbacks as springboards to your success
- Challenging yourself
Leadership starts from within and then spills outward. When you begin leading yourself, you will find that others will naturally begin respecting and following your brand of leadership. And that’s where the magic really starts happening!
Ask The Right Questions To Unlock Your Purpose
Asking ‘why’ is a powerful way to begin seeing the possibilities for your life. Why are you here? Why is your life important? Why is it critical that you tap into your greatness? The quality of your life is in proportion to the quality of questions you consistently ask yourself. And I’ll tell you what, that’s a small price to pay for finding and living out your purpose!
At Certified Flourishing Coach, we help individuals and institutions to bureaus and businesses (and everything in between) to Flourish with our science-based approach to personal and professional development. We help with everything from wellness and leadership to creativity and high performance. So if you’re ready, contact us today to learn more.
About The Author
Abe Brown, MBA, Founder of Certified Flourishing Coaching™
Abe Brown, MBA, CMCT, CPHSA is the Coach’s Coach, and is an Entrepreneur, Professional Speaker, International Best-Selling Author, and High-Performance Leadership Coach. He is the founder of Certified Flourishing Coach™, the Flourishing Life Coaching Program™, and Flourishing Workplace. Abe is also the author of the Certified Flourishing Coaching™ Programs.