As we embark on this new year, I feel the freshness and unlimited possibility it.
In numerology, the year 2016 is a 9 year which symbolizes the energy of completeness. Cycles are coming to an end, and with each ending something new will inevitably emerge.
The energy of this year is asking us to rise to who we are meant to be in the world. I felt this bubbling up for me during the fall as I began to dream, desire, and envision what I wanted to birth this year. During this process, I connected to my desire not only for myself, but also for you.
My first desire for you is that you shine your light so brightly that it changes your life and the world.
As I felt into this desire, one word came up over and over again.
The word is purpose.
That’s why I didn’t find it surprising that over the past month, many people shared with me their desire to connect and live in alignment with their true purpose. For many of us, we’ve been reevaluating everything from our careers to businesses to relationships to home life etc. What makes this year unique, is now we’ve got the added energy of completeness urging us to do something about it now. If you’re someone who has been stagnant, you might feel it as if you’re being pushed to do something.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or confused as these urges arise, but let’s transmute these feelings by filtering them through a more holistic lens. Instead, let’s view this simply as a gentle invitation to dance pas-à-pas with our purpose.
As I reflect on my own journey with purpose, I must admit that I struggled to find my purpose. It might have been because I excelled and enjoyed so many things. Or it could be that my constant questioning curious mind wanted to learn and experience so much. Whatever it was, it led me to wearing many different hats.
At first I viewed doing so many things as an adventure, but pretty soon I felt extremely disconnected from my purpose.
It was then, I set out on an epic search to find my purpose. I thought that once I found my purpose then I’d be able to do what I was meant to do in the world. I also thought that having a purpose would give me clarity and set me in the “right” direction. In other words, it was only after finding my purpose that I would be able to shine my light.
So I looked for my purpose while sitting in meditation.
I’d look for it in conversations with friends and mentors.
I’d even look for my purpose in fortune cookies and tea bags.
Well lo and behold, one day, while sitting in meditation I heard what my purpose was.
It came to me as a single word.
Illuminate.
At first I was overjoyed, but then I realized I didn’t know what to do with that word. I wanted a master plan. I wanted everything to magically fall into place.
But it didn’t.
As a matter of fact, that little word created more questions.
What did that really mean?
How was I to do that specifically?
And on and on.
At that moment, I realized, that I had two choices.
I could:
A. Spend my life trying to figure it all out.
OR
B. Leap into the unknown.
I choose B.
I chose B because,
We learn to embody our purpose only as we leap into the unknown. (tweet this)
If you’re trying to figure out your purpose I want to offer you some ideas that could help you —
Align With Your Purpose
Let Go
Instead of focusing so much on my idea of a perfect purpose I focused on letting it unfold. If you’re trying to find your purpose or make a decision I’ll share this with you: The ego wants us to figure it all out and then act. In contrast, your soul is content with the journey. So, let go and trust that it is all happening in divine timing.
Integrate: Put your hands on your heart and say, “I let go and surrender to my unique journey. It’s all unfolding as it should.”
Everything Matters
If you’re anything like me, your quest to find your purpose has led you on many adventures. My adventures have led me to work for billionaires, raise millions for capital campaigns, create business development plans for startups, perform on stages and in front and behind the camera, create epic online marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, create best selling programs, and so much more. I could dismiss some of my experiences as a waste of time, but each and every one made me who I am today. It’s a part of my secret sauce of what I bring to the world. Without those experiences I’d be two dimensional instead of a real human being.
Integrate: Think about one experience in the past that you feel was a waste of time. What’s one lesson you learned from this experience that gives you a unique perspective? How can you apply this to what you’re doing today?
What Lights You Up?
The things that light you up are those things that you can do for hours on end and think only minutes went by. When you focus on what brings you joy, it puts you in the state of living your purpose instead of thinking about it. When I started pouring my heart and soul into the things that light me up such as writing, creating, coaching it allowed my purpose find me.
In the words of Rumi,
“What you seek is seeking you.” ~Rumi (tweet this)
Integrate: Write a list of 3 things that you love doing. Pick the one that lights you up the most and commit to it for at least 3 days this week.
What Must You Give Up?
In order to birth something new, we must also give up behaviors, thoughts, and relationships that keep us from fully standing in our light.
Integrate: What behaviors, thoughts, and relationships have long overstayed their welcome, and need to come to an end so that you embody your purpose?
It’s been close to 10 years since I first heard that my purpose was to illuminate.
The great news, is that I’ve spent the majority of the time since then living my purpose, instead of thinking about it. The result is today I’m more on purpose than I’ve ever been. I am so proud of who I am and who I am becoming, but just as important I know that it took everything that happened in my past to get me here. For that, I’m so grateful.
Share Your Voice.