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Being guided by a sense of meaning and purpose.

“The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose.” Dr Myles Munroe.

Purpose is defined in many ways that are synonymous with determination and resoluteness: an intended desire or a meaning of a thing.

As human beings , our lives are bigger than what we do .There is an overarching reason for our being that goes beyond goals , not something you attain but something that drives you and something that you carry with you your whole life. It can also manifest as motivation, that provokes you to act regardless of the environment and/or circumstances with no consideration for reward or consequences. You can look at it as the reason for your being – that is purpose.

Now a goal is attainable, tangible and, therefore, transitory. The goals we set for ourself should, ideally, act as the necessary stepping-stones to help us fulfil our true purpose in life. It is what we do to become and to attain our aspirations.

Purpose is about finding the meaning of life, meaning gives a crystal clear picture of what success means individually and collectively and this is what brings fulfilment and joy into our lives .

How do we find meaning in our lives during times of crises? We aware that COVID 19 is not the last crisis that we will ever experience in our lives. Otto Sharma puts it this way, “We live in an era of intense conflict and massive institutional failures, a time of painful endings and of hopeful beginnings. It is a time where we need to pause and become aware of what is emerging from the rubble of this pandemic” To comprehend the impact of this pandemic, we are talking about a time for rebuilding towards the great reset including many other phrases that are popular in our socials.

Should we be talking about purpose during times of crises?? After all we do not know what our tomorrow will look like after this pandemic. Strategies and plans have been disrupted at a global scale. All we know is that things will not remain the same, that is why we are anticipating a new-normal. I would like to believe that we should be engaging in meaningful conversations in order to maintain courage and hope for the emerging normal. Without meaning in our lives we risk losing hope and without hope we can easily lose the resolve to live. The consistent state of anxiety is not conducive to our mental health. It is evident that calamities expose vulnerabilities and opportunities. This pandemic is no different , many opportunities are emerging individually and corporately.

After the World War 11 Sir Winston Churchill quoted as saying:

“Never let a good crisis go to waste”.

That is why it is necessary to redefine our purpose so that we can recognize the meaning to our existence. Finding meaning will positively contribute towards the process of rebuilding our world beyond the pandemic.

In defining purpose, one must answer very important and inspiriting questions :

• Why am I here? What am I here for? What will I have?
• What is it I want to be? (Your aspirations and anything you can conceive of yourself self )
• What will I do to get to who or where I want to be? (Skills, attitudes, networks , resources)
• What will I have? As a result of doing and being – what’s in it for me. (This has to be inspiring enough to boost your courage to act)

As you can imagine , it must be difficult to have to reflect upon these questions whilst dealing with the impact of this pandemic. Therefore, it is helpful to break them down to finding meaning in our mundane daily activities and relationships; deeply reflecting on how we are showing up in all areas of our lives. By so doing we want to develop courage and inspiration to show up with resolute determination even if we do not know the outcomes.

Upon reflecting and answering the purpose questions, you can start to think about what you are doing right now and what you could be doing to help you move closer to the objectives of your role . You should also start appreciating your contributions to organisational goals or the community you serve. Find out for yourself what does your contribution mean to your personal growth as well as society at large.

Your answers should assist in establishing with clarity , what will you do well and intentionally in order to be effective in your role? Perhaps you discovered new ideas or hidden talents during this disruption , seize the opportunity to implement them. You have nothing to lose, show up.

This process of redefining your purpose should enable you to recognize who are you becoming professionally , in your business , personally well as in your relationships.

It takes courage to find meaning in the midst of a crises, it demands that you bring meaning into your smallest detail of your life. It is the little things that stand in the way of big things .

CTA: If you need assistance in finding meaning of what is going on around you or you want to investigate which coping intervention is suitable to restore your mental fitness , send us a note to schedule an 30 minute conversation .

Be of good courage. Let your purpose provide the guiding direction for your heart and soul.

 

“If you’re alive, there’s a purpose for your life.” – Rick Warren

#meaning #courage #purposeliving