Life Purpose: Finding It Where You Are

Some people think that their life purpose should be something different from what they are already doing, perhaps something exotic or requiring some drastic change in lifestyle. Everyone has a life purpose, a calling to do something of value in their lives. Everyone’s life purpose has one thing in common with everyone else’s. That essential element that all life purposes share is that of giving, of being of service to others. If you do something strictly for yourself for recognition, power, fame, money, or material gain you are not living your life purpose. If you find it fun and even joyful to do what you do because it benefits others then you are probably living your life purpose. So your life purpose may not have to be exotic or unusual or require a life change. Stan was an architect who enjoyed creating wonderful designs for his high paying clients. After a number of years Stan tired of having to deal with entitled, temperamental, and indecisive clients. Soon he found that he was doing his job for the money and not for the creative joy of it. When he thought he had a client who was temperamental he would raise his price and that made him feel good for a little while but he had lost real interest. One day he had to admit to himself that he was just going through the motions and wanted more out of his life. He began to look at his clients in a different way. He asked himself, “How can I help serve this person or family? How can I make their lives better?” Stan began to express genuine interest and caring in how he communicated, listened, and designed. Soon he began to feel a return of joy in his work, not for the money, not for even the creative design, but for the happiness he saw he brought to his clients. Finally Stan was living his life purpose.