Finding Your Purpose: Taking Action

“You can’t just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream. You’ve got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.”

— Diana Ross

In part one of this series, we discussed how breaking the chains of complacency are a critical step in pursuing a life of purpose.
 

Once we have decided that we want to pursue our dreams, we must take the necessary action to: 1) re-connect with those dreams and 2) explore opportunities available for making those dreams our reality.
 

These are the methods that will enable this action:

1.    Take money out of the equation.

For most of us, earning an income is a necessity. We need money to meet our basic needs.
 

However, it is important to take the time to calculate how much money we truly need in order to live a fulfilling life. Perhaps we are spending most of our money on paying the mortgage of a house that is too big for our needs or shopping for things that we want but are not necessary.  
 

When we go through such an exercise, we come to realize that we do not need as much money as we thought we did. This can be a helpful first step in removing any fear that we may have around money.
 

Do note that this is not to say that we cannot and should not earn money in our dream careers or positions. Rather, fear of not having enough money is not an excuse to avoid pursuing our dreams.
 

As my mentors always told me, the money will be there if we can provide great value or service to others. And, we can serve others best if we live our life’s purpose.

2.    Take fear out of the equation.

The fear of stepping into the unknown, in combination with the fear of a lack of money, creates a devastating punch. It thwarts our desire to explore our dreams. 
 

Ridding ourselves of our fears is possible. Mindfulness is one powerful method through which we can do this.
 

Through mindfulness, we can recognize and acknowledge our fears as they arise within us and take action in pursuit of our dreams in spite of them.
 

For example, if we fear public speaking, we must take every opportunity that presents itself to speak publicly. Perhaps, when we take the microphone, our heart beats rapidly and our palms sweat. If this happens, we must say to our fear, “Fear, I know you are there. But, you are not me.” And, if we can do this, we will soon find ourselves overcoming the biggest obstacles in our lives. 
 

Mindfulness, that enables us to recognize our fear and act anyway, can be cultivated through a daily practice of meditation.
 

My morning meditation sets up my positive outlook for the day. When meditating, I observe the thoughts and feelings that are occurring inside of me. In doing this every morning, I am able to bring this exercise of observation into the rest of my day.

3.    Identify your unique talents and passion.

If we feel that we do not know what our unique talents and passions are, we can reconnect with them by spending time in quiet contemplation. During this time, we can think about the things that bring us the greatest joy and happiness now, and the things that used to bring us the greatest joy and happiness when we were young. Our heart will tell us what our unique gift is if we take the time to listen to it. 
 

We should never let go of our talents and passions because they bring joy and balance into our lives. And, when we are joyful and balanced, we can bring the most good into this world.


4.    Explore all of the resources available on your talent and passion.

“Seek, and ye shall find.” Whatever our interests may be, there are an abundance of resources available to help us on our journey.
 

We can begin by identifying resources such as books, online articles, videos, and podcasts that offer information about our passions and/or the people who have pursued similar passions. 
 

We can also speak with friends, family, and mentors about our passion. They can connect us with people and resources that can further our quest for information.
 

I began speaking with my friends and family about my passion for helping others end suffering well over a year before I realized I could invest in it full-time. They guided me to books and articles, and I spent all of my free time consuming these materials.


5.  Invest time in the special gift you bring to the world.

We all have unique talents and passions. Once we have identified our gift, we must invest time in cultivating it.
 

It is crucial to spend time reading, watching or listening to those resources you identify. And, if we are passionate about painting, we must paint. If we are passionate about writing, we must write.
 

Perhaps we have a job and do not have the resources to invest full-time in our gift. We can nevertheless cultivate it in our free time.
 

For example, when we come home in the evenings, we can work on our project instead of watching television. Perhaps we feel that, after a long day, the only thing that we have the energy to do is watch television. But, we will soon learn that working on our talents and passions do not deplete our energy. Instead, they give us energy.
 

These small actions in our free time enable us to build a framework that will allow us to focus on our passion full-time.
 

My talent and passion was always to help others overcome suffering in their lives.  I usually focused on relationships, because that was where I witnessed my friends experience the most suffering. As I began to investigate various spiritual philosophies on suffering, I came to realize that this was something that I had the tools and skills to do in a full-time capacity.   

6.  Personal development is critical.

Our egos will never stop trying to talk us out of the journey into the unknown. Therefore, we must constantly re-enforce the truth that achieving our dreams is possible. 
 

Anyone who has achieved great success in their field will highlight the importance of personal development. We must read the books and articles, watch the videos, listen to the podcasts, and attend the seminars that provide us with the positive reinforcement we need to push past our fears and towards our dreams.
 

I spend a minimum of 30 minutes each day either listening podcasts and YouTube videos or reading books that fuel my belief that I can accomplish anything through consistent action and perseverance.
 

By finding and living our purpose, we uncover the secret to a life of fulfillment.