Does Purpose Really Matter? 4 Steps to Finding Yours (if It Does)

Posted on January 12, 2018 by Veronica Matthews, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

Does Purpose Really Matter? 4 Ways to Find Yours (If It Does)

People over the centuries have questioned and debated the subject of purpose. What is it? Is there really such a thing as purpose? Why does it matter in the first place?

Webster’s Dictionary defines purpose as the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc. There are more than 64,000 books on the topic of purpose and Rick Warren, alone, has written 8 of them. For one person to write 8 books on the topic of purpose, it must be a real thing and it must mean something, right? Judging from Webster’s definition and the sheer number books available on the topic, it would be hard to defend that purpose does not matter. Additionally, biblically speaking, we were created for a purpose and plan. Perhaps, I believe that purpose matters because I have discovered mine and know what a difference it has made in my life since I have come to know my purpose and pursue it. So, for argument’s sake, let’s just say that purpose does matter.

So, since it matters, what is the harm in not discovering and pursuing your purpose?

If purpose is the reason for your existence and you don’t discover your purpose, what are you doing? Not to throw shade or be a Debbie Downer, if you don’t know the reason(s) you were sent to the earth, the things you were created to do and be, then I would say you are proceeding through life much like I was – being led around aimlessly by the nose from one shiny object to the next, from one fad to the next, unfulfilled and searching for ‘the next’. Maybe you are content with not knowing your purpose and if you are; I respect that. No harm, no foul; I, on the other hand, am a little too nosey not to be curious. If you’re curious too and want to discover your purpose, here are 4 steps you can take to find your purpose and greater self-awareness in the process.

Ask What Is My Purpose?
It seems so simple and yes, it is easy to ask Spirit or the universe, “What is my purpose; why am I here?” The challenge is in waiting patiently until the answer is revealed or discovered. According to the Law of Attraction and biblical principles, if you ask in faith believing that you will receive your answer, you will receive it. The timing of when the answer manifests will vary. People that have more practice and facility with the Law of Attraction can manifest an answer rather quickly; while for others it could take longer. I believe, a byproduct of seeking and developing a relationship with God is the revelation of purpose. When you seek God with a pure heart, He responds with His presence which brings answers, clarity, and revelation of purpose, along with peace, joy and so many other blessings.

Use Your Passions
Doing work using your passions while you wait for the answer to your purpose will help the time pass sooner than if you were to wait without intention. Typically, when you are doing what you love, you never work a day in your life. What would you do for free; what causes resonate with you; what do you do that brings you joy and lights a fire within you? Whatever it is, do those things. You’ll find peace, fulfillment, and joy and forget all about the answer you are waiting on. If you are filling the waiting time with doing things you love – dancing, singing, acting, writing, cooking, etc., through your service, it is quite possible your answer could be revealed to you and you may just learn more about yourself while you’re at it.

Take a Personal Inventory
Completing a strengths or skills assessment such as Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath or the S.H.A.P.E. (Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experience assessment created by Rick Warren will help you identify your strengths and what you do well. Your purpose may naturally fall somewhere at the intersection of what you like and what you do well. Another method of taking an inventory is to solicit input from others. Since we are our own worst critic, oftentimes, others can see us better than we can see ourselves. We have the tendency to downplay our strengths, hide what we love out of fear of what others may think, or simply are so caught up in our heads, that we forget to sometimes look at life through our hearts. Those we love and trust can see what you do best; how you make them feel when you are in your full power; what are your strengths and what they can see you doing. This doesn’t mean that you then must live out what they see for you; it just means that you have more information to be with, meditate on, think about and pray on for confirmation.

Trust Your Heart
The heart is a powerful organ. It maintains life and connects us to our true selves. It holds many answers and desires and when we allow ourselves to be led by our hearts, we typically find a path worth traveling. Our natural instinct to be, to desire and to do things is often driven from a pure place in our heart and the inner pit of our being. This is where our passions and in most cases the answer of, “what is my purpose?” is driven from. While the bible says the heart can be deceitful and wicked; it also says, out of it flows the issues of life. I would assert that a heart connected to and led by spirit will reveal and lead to purpose. What is your heart telling you to be, do, take on or go after? Be and do those things and you will most likely uncover your purpose.

In a debate of whether purpose matters, I would defend the side that purpose does matter. Whether you believe that you have one purpose in life or many purposes that grow, change and evolve as you do; purpose is the reason for our existence. What matters more than happiness is the contentment that comes from living a life on and with purpose. If you don’t know what your purpose is yet, don’t fret, you can still figure it out and you don’t have to do it alone. You can ask of God what your purpose is; you can follow your passions until your purpose is clear; you can take a strengths or skills assessment and/or ask for input from others, and you can follow your heart when it is connected to and led by your spirit. Any of these ways (and possibly many more) can lead you to your purpose. Once you know your purpose; boldly, bravely and passionately live it.

One of my favorite quotes from Robert Byrne speaks to the purpose debate with this answer, “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.”

Veronica Matthews is a Life & Leadership Coach specializing in supporting clients in the discovery of themselves, their purpose and how to passionately pursue it. Contact me to schedule a discovery session.