#1 Way to Find Your Purpose: Find Your Joy
If you have a feeling that there’s more for you to do here on earth, that you have a purpose, you are not alone. Every one of us is here for a purpose, although most of us have lost touch with it, and the best way to find that purpose is to find our joy.
I was talking to a friend recently who is a recent empty nester, and who never thought she’d have a chance again to focus on herself and her own interests in life. She has many things in her life that she loves and enjoys and that tap into her creativity, but so far has not yet found what really brings her joy.
Joy can be elusive. When we’re young, joy comes very naturally, but as we grow older, we become more serious. According to the Hidden Brain podcast: “The average four-year-old child laughs 300 times a day. By contrast, it takes more than two months for the average 40-year-old adult to laugh that many times.”
I don’t know how true that is, but it SEEMS true. I know that when I was a teenager, I was ridiculously silly, including writing a parody of Star Wars with my cousin that relied heavily on bathroom humor. By my early 20s I’d lost that goofy sense of humor and focused entirely on the serious realities of life. I was caught up in survival, and in combating depression. In my early 30s, I was so overwhelmed by depression that I finally sought treatment. At that point, I certainly couldn’t remember what brought me joy.
My path back to purpose was interwoven with my work. I was lucky enough to develop my career around something I had always loved, writing. I started as a writer and moved into the larger world of marketing. I have always enjoyed this work, but I felt there was something more I was here to do.
When I read Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth, I felt I’d found part of the answer. He talked about the path of work moving from survival to enjoyment to passion. My work in writing and marketing was enjoyable and fulfilling, and there was yet more for me to do that I was truly passionate about.
I took some time away from my career to pursue writing about the work I was doing to deal with and overcome depression, codependency, and obsession with romantic relationships. I was passionate about finding peace of mind no matter what was happening in my life, and I developed practical methods and guidance that helped me navigate every challenge that came up.
And that’s when I found my true passion: sharing my experiences and learning through practical frameworks to help others get to sanity and serenity faster than I did. It brings me so much joy to share some process or practice that sparks insight that helps them move toward their own path of purpose and passion.
If you’re looking for your purpose, ask yourself some questions:
- Do I have a nagging feeling there’s something more?
- Is there an activity, interest, or passion that I used to love to do that I want to return to?
- What were my hopes and dreams when I was younger? What are my hopes and dreams now?
- How do I express my creativity? (this does not have to be an art form – it could be that you’re good at organizing, or gardening, or coaching kids, anything where you apply creativity and innovation)
- And most importantly: What brings me joy?
These days, I love listening to my 4-year-old giggle and laugh all day long, and I do my best to participate. We tell silly knock-knock jokes, and sometimes the best ones are when she totally makes them up and they make absolutely NO SENSE. That cracks me up.
And I blog, now daily. I share what I have learned in the hopes that it will inspire someone else to move toward their greater purpose and contribution to the world. I find my joy in growth – my own, for those around me, especially in my children, and for my readers.
Enjoy this compilation of babies laughing.
