Finding Purpose
Why I am here? What is my purpose?
Have you ever asked these questions? I did, sometimes I still do.
It is very tiring when you have to work all day long not knowing what is your purpose and you can find yourself so exhausted, and still feel empty.
I remember John Maxwell said this, to first find yourself, you must find your purpose and then lose yourself. What an oxymoron, contradicting statements? To find ourselves so that to lose ourselves.
We want to know what our purpose is? Then we need to put our purpose greater than our own, thus we lose ourselves.
I learnt about great men in the history, like William Carey - an English man who left his own country to India in 1973, bringing with him, wife and children with a lot of uncertainties but with just one great mission in his mind - to bring hope and change to different parts of the world. This man, was the man who founded the now, Serampore University and established 100 of schools for he believed through education, we can bring improvements and change. He also successfully abolished "Suttee"(or Sati) - a custom where when a man died, his widow too, is burnt alive with the man. William died in Serampore, never ever back to England from the day his voyage started in 1973. His family too suffered, with his son died at 5 years old due to dysentery as a result of poverty, malnutrition and wife also died due to mental illness. Truly, a man who found himself and then lost himself - for he knew his purposes are greater.
So, do we know ours?
There are many people don't actually know themselves. Do you agree?
Let's try.
1) Do you know your strengths?
2) Do you know your dreams?
3) Do you feel excited to go to work?
4) Do you feel energetic in everything you do?
5) Do you see your future?
If you do not, maybe you have not discovered yourself, and have not found your purpose.
First - do you know what are your most passionate about?
Passion is often linked with our purpose because when you do what you don't love, you just feel so meaningless in doing it. Passion is the source of energy. I love to teach, so I just enjoy teaching and I never feel my work is really work. I just enjoy seeing growth in people.
“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life” Mark Twain.
When you have passion - you do the impossible.
Being passionate is one thing, being good at it is another. You can be passionate about something you just are not good at it. However, you can groom your talents or gifts. So, that brings us to the next question:
Second - Discover your strength?
When you are in your strength - you energised.
Your energy will all be sucked out when you just do things you are not good at.
Sometimes we have mistaken our passion with our strengths. I knew people who love to cook but just can't cook well. Feeling that you are good at something and being really good at it is 2 different things. Some ways to discover your strengths include: (1) Jobs or Tasks people often associate it with you. (e.g. always picked to be event organiser) (2) Tasks that you are confident to do it (3) Tasks that you always feel accomplished each time you do it. No successful people do not know their strengths and you don't maximise potential out of your strength. Your strength is often your gift to pursue your purpose in life.
Third - do you waste your talent?
Being in education line, I have seen many students in my class that they do not even know why they are here. Why do you choose this course? and I got things like "My dad wants me to be here." (But you are not your dad). While skills can be trained, this is not always true for everything. Accept the fact, there are things we are not gifted at - and we may just be wasting a lot of time, dwelling in things that we are not good at, things that we don't love and just drain our energy. So, what do I do? I never believe it is too late to change. I am a believer in “Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.” However, it is dangerous to just ride on the line "we failed, when we stopped trying" when you don't even know what your purpose are - because, then you are trying and trying, for NO reason. Yes, I am a person who advised my student to stop their course and go into something else.
Fourth - Purpose is not always you alone.
Teammates complement your purpose. Do you know that you can be a purpose for another person? In my life, many have walked into my life, and been my purpose. They taught me. Some brought me down. Some lifted me up. Some walked the journey together. Some affirmed my purpose. The key is.. you don't have to discover your purpose alone. Don't walk alone.
Fifth - Rise Up.
Our purpose in life may change - because circumstances change, because our objectives change because our priorities change. John Maxwell famous quote - A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them. Finding purpose requires facing and confronting our mistakes.
A concluding example,
Look at our parents. Many parents see their purposes rested on their children.
So, from the day when a new life is born, parents work for the best for their children, losing themselves, for their children - never complaining their tiredness, their struggles.
because they love.
They love you, and that became their source of energy.
Sadly... many seniors find that they lost their purposes when their children have grown up.
May you discover your purpose and find yourself.
May you also uncover the purpose of others, and help them to find themselves.
Low Chin Ann is the Founding Director of Genesisorigo
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