I have to admit, I love exploring and learning about our purpose—our calling. I believe we are all born with the capacity to contribute our unique strengths.
The burning question is—when do you push the pause button on this fast-paced life to reflect on what brings you meaning? When do you feel most fulfilled? What is your unique contribution to the world?
Now, sit with your answers before articulating in a short statement (maybe one sentence) what you believe is your unique purpose or calling.
This is part 2 in the 3-part series on Purpose by Diana Gabriel, Certified Strengths Strategy Coach.
Knowing your life purpose means you know where your passion comes from and you can make decisions that are in alignment with what matters most. It’s the key to living a life with contribution and meaning.
A quick study of the research, as mentioned in my last post, shows that having a clear purpose leads to living longer and more happily.
Additionally, research has found that purpose can also contribute to better relationships. In 2009, Richard Leider teamed up with Met Life to assess the purpose of over 1,000 adults. They found that those with a high sense of meaning in their lives spent more time and attention on their loved ones and communities. Generally, people with purpose tend to be more engaged with their families, colleagues, and neighbors, enjoying more satisfying relationships as a result.
Purpose has also been shown to positively affect pain management. A study in The Journal of Pain found that women with a stronger sense of purpose were better able to withstand heat and cold stimuli applied to their skin.
If the above reasons aren’t enough, purpose can also help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. In studies of thousands of elderly subjects, Dr. Patricia Boyle, a neuropsychologist at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago, found that people with a low sense of life purpose were 2.4 times more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease than those with a strong purpose. Further, people with purpose were less likely to develop mobility disabilities and impairments in daily living.
However, in my coaching practice, I’ve observed that, when we are immersed in our careers and family responsibilities, few take the time to see where their purpose and passion come from. That is an unfortunate reality.
At later stages in life, when we do pause to reflect on what truly matters, we might begin to see where and how we experience true meaning and value. But, it often takes an emotionally upsetting event to get us to take stock.
I would love to see all of you pause and explore what provides meaning and purpose for you, leading you to live a life “on purpose.”
In my experience, when we learn how to realign ourselves with our purpose, core values and strengths our dreams become unstoppable. This is where a professional coach can truly be a helpful guide. If you’d like to know more, let’s talk. Contact me here or on LinkedIn.
Diana Gabriel, PPC
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