Many of us reach a point as some stage in our lives where we ask ourselves, “Why am I here? What is the point?” At this stage we begin searching for who we are and trying to determine our destiny, what it is that we are meant to do. Destiny can be defined as the sum total of everything that happens to a person during their lifetime, the end result or the cumulative impact of the sum of your experiences. While fate may place opportunities in our path it is up to each individual to determine their destiny by their choices.
What we desire our ultimate destiny to be should be driven by our purpose and it is our purpose that drives out actions. Our destiny is the long term direction, while our purpose gives us an immediate focus to direct our daily actions. While our ultimate destiny draws us to fulfill it, our purpose is the expression of our work toward fulfilling that destiny. Your purpose may change and evolve throughout your lifetime while your destiny will remain constant. To start achieving that feeling of fulfillment one must identify their purpose. What are you called to do right now? This will be a stepping stone toward your destiny.
So how do you get started? Follow these steps developed by the Human Genome Project to find your passion and start living your purpose.
Make a List
List at least 25 the things you are curious about, things that spark your interest. Write them down with a pen and a piece of paper versus using your tablet. The act of writing actually engages the brain in a unique way allowing you better memory and retention. Be specific and clear in identifying each item. Writing that you are curious about cooking is too vague. Narrow your focus down to what specifically makes you curious about cooking. For example, you are curious about how different spices interact with the taste buds in the mouth to create flavors. This step is an important starting point because curiosity sparks energy. Multiple streams of curiosity or energy lead to passion and passion is what will point us toward determining our purpose. Start here. Don’t skip this step because it is the foundation of your search for purpose.
Find Sweet Spots
Curiosity alone is not enough to create passion. Passion occurs where 3 or more items in your list of 25 overlap. Look at your list of things you are curious about and identify where items overlap or intersect. These areas of intersection are your “sweet spots”. This is where there is the most energy and where there are sparks of passion. Passion is important because it triggers the brain to focus on areas where there is passion. This focused attention improves performance, productivity and the flow of energy. It places you in “the zone” where things come easier because you are working with the flow of energy not against it. This passion driven focus also releases feel good chemicals in the brain that make following your passion addictive and enjoyable. In this state we feel our best and perform at our best.
Choose Challenges
Now that you have identified your areas of passion create a new list of 10 to 15 global problems you would like to see solved in the world today. These should be specific problems or challenges that either impact everyone or impact large groups of the population. Try not to be too vague. Think if you had the time, money and resources to make anything happen, to solve any challenge what would you do? What are the global issues you care about? What would make your life and the lives of many others better if it were solved? If you are thinking of solving world hunger, make that more specific for example if 100,000 people received meals each day. Perhaps you believe life would be better if there was a better coffee maker available at an affordable price. You get to choose what items no matter how big or small make it on your list. Make it personal, it is your list!
Find Matches
Determine where areas of passion that you identified previously would serve in solving the problems you listed. For example if one of your problems was to feed a certain number of people a day and your passion was around how food was seasoned and flavored, you have a match! Our brain loves to find patterns and identify connections! Let your brain do what it does best and find where your passions connect with the global issues you have identified. You may only find one problem that matches with a passion or several. Identify the one where you can feel the most energy, the strongest passion when you think of it. You may even be able to feel the surge of energy in your body when you make the match! You have identified your purpose. Knowing our purpose gives each of us a sense of significance and meaning, something to strive for and work toward. Knowing your purpose and activating your passion increases those feel good chemicals in the brain and promotes your overall happiness.
Keep Learning
You now know your purpose. Now what? Feed your passion daily with 10 to 15 minutes of learning on the topic. Watch a video, read an article. This activates the connections in your brain which increases motivation and learning. Create your story around your passion that you can share with others. How did you find your passion? Why is this your passion? Having a story helps your brain build an intellectual framework, like a matrix, to connect your ideas and facts to. This makes it easier to store and recall new information on the topic and will help you to learn faster in developing your expertise around your passion. Connect with others who are passionate about the topic. Social reinforcement will further fuel your passion and drive. Finally apply your passion to your purpose. Your passion is the action toward fulfilling your purpose. When you fulfill your purpose you are able to share your passion with others. Pursuing your purpose can be the basis for a business, can create massive change or solve a global challenge!
Taking the steps to identify your passion and your purpose are energizing and invigorating. This process will give you a sense of direction and excitement. Where your passion intersects with world challenges is your purpose and can be where some of the biggest business opportunities can be found. Your passions and purpose may evolve and change over your lifetime. If you find yourself loosing focus come back to these steps to see what has shifted and get yourself back on track. Commit to regularly nurturing your passion and create a plan for fulfilling your purpose. What do you want to do with all of this energy your passion inspires? Once you apply passion toward your purpose you will find that you are actively fulfilling your destiny.
Dawn Demers is a Strategic Coach, Change Master and speaker. Dawn’s training includes Pranic Healing, Reiki and other healing modalities in addition to traditional bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and psychology, Learn more about Dawn at ACORDA Strategic Coaching.
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