Purpose-driven life; what can you do to empower your life? Finding a purpose may be the beginning of a fulfilling future!

Most of us have been challenged by the pandemic the past few years. All of us have experienced emotions of dread, fear, financial worries, unexpected decision-making, health challenges, loss of family and friends. Some of us have been able to persevere and trudge on, some of us have been feeling the weight of the world and have retreated inward, and some of us have had life epiphanies.

The first year of the pandemic, I cleaned all of my rooms, closets, sorted, tossed, reorganized, built shelving for several closets (don't be too impressed it was out-of-the-box metal shelving except for one cabinet that was a 6-hour kick-my-bum experience), cleaned like crazy until I felt like I could eat off of my floors and prayed a lot. Like millions of families, we weren't really sure where we were going to end up a year ago.

Through all of this first year of the pandemic, I felt sad, frustrated, confused, but I still had hope. It was my hope and faith that collided one day and made me realize that my life had been without a purpose. I had been so busy caring for others (that's what mom's do) yet I forgot to care for me. That's when I realized I had been leading life without a purpose. I spent weeks mulling this new concept through my head and tried to figure out what my purpose was. Then the planets just aligned just perfectly, and I felt that spiritual tap on my shoulder and envisioned God smiling at me.

Life is not fulfilling without a purpose. Humans are meant to congregate, socialize together, group together, pray together, laugh together, console each other over loss, lift each other up, love either other, care for each other and above all treat our brothers and sisters with respect, love, kindness, warmth, as God taught us too.

Once I discovered what my new purpose was, my inner soul had been renewed as my faith often times wavers. I knew God had been carrying me like the poem, "Footprints in the Sand", written by Mary Stevenson

The part everyone is most familiar with:

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you,
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you."

This pandemic has challenged us all, and your life might have been already difficult before the pandemic era. Take some time to yourself and reach down deep in your heart and ask yourself, what can you do that would be fulfilling, helpful to others, healing to your soul? Talk to your family and friends and set a plan for a positive change in your life. It can be as small as exercising 20 minutes a day, or as big as you want it to be. Find what that is, process it and lead a purpose driven life. Without a purpose, what then? Wishing all of my friends many blessings for 2022 and beyond. I would love to know how you will create a better purpose driven life, a more fulfilling way of living, laughing and just staying happy!

Short Article; good questions to ask yourself.

Five questions to ask when you need help finding your purpose.

Mark Twain once said the two greatest days in a person’s life are the day they’re born and the day they discover why. Deep? Definitely. But let’s be honest: the first day is a somewhat passive experience. The second day, however, can feel like a lot of pressure. While some of us can quickly identify our purpose (in our careers, or otherwise), others may struggle to answer the question “Why am I here?”

“I believe that everybody has a purpose and was created for a reason,” says John Maxwell, author of The Leader’s Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders. “Your purpose is an anchor that keeps you grounded. It’s also your North Star that helps you soar. But it’s not always easy to find.”

If you’re struggling to find yours, Maxwell suggests asking yourself these five questions:

1. What do you do well?

This question helps you uncover that unique talent that sets you apart from others. Perhaps you’re good at public speaking or motivating others. Or maybe you’re good at finding computer bugs or supporting your friends through tough times. Whether you have a hard or soft skill, knowing what you do well will put you on your way to using your talent in your purpose.

2. What do your friends say you do well?

Unfortunately, it can be hard to recognize your own talent. When something comes naturally, it doesn’t always seem special. To get some help, ask your family or friends what they think you’re good at doing. This question gets to the heart of recognition “Most of us are not self-aware,” says Maxwell. “We all have blind spots, but you can ask others to help you identify your talents.”

Ask several people, suggests Maxwell. When you start to hear certain talents over again, you’ve identified an area of strength.

3. If you could do or be anything, what would you do or be?

This question taps into your internal desires, and can help you identify your purpose. A good way to answer this question is to consider those things you like to do in your free time or the projects at work you volunteer for or seek out. You can also think about the spots in the day when time seems to fly—what are you doing when you get lost or immersed in a project?

These things should also align with your talent, and it’s important to not confuse purpose with passion, says Maxwell. “Sometimes your passion is something you’re not any good at,” he says. “If you’re passionate about something you’re not good at, you can make it a hobby, not a career.”

4. What gives you results when you do something?

Your purpose will give you a return, and this question helps you identify the things you do that generate results. For example, if your talent is sales, you likely hit your goals every month. Or if you are good at innovative thinking, you might share ideas at work that prompt new projects. Pay attention to the tasks you do that get you accolades and awards.

Strengths and purpose are more than knowledge, says Maxwell. “Knowledge is overrated,” he says. “I can ask Siri, and she’ll tell me what I need to know. But what value is something if you know it but don’t use it? The result of knowing or learning is action application.”

5. How can you get better?

Once you identify your uniqueness, you need to fine-tune and work harder at it to set yourself apart. While having talent helps make you special, developing it further can make you strong. “Your growth potential is connected to your strengths,” says Maxwell. “In your weak areas, your growth potential is low, but when you’re working to improve your strength, you have a higher capacity.”

Why purpose is important

When someone is drifting, they probably haven’t identified their purpose in their life, says Maxwell. “Once you discover your purpose, you can do life on purpose,” he says. “Intentionality takes you to a whole new level.”

No one has ever been successful doing something that they didn’t like, and no one has ever been successful doing something they can’t do well, says Maxwell. “I see millions of people every day doing something they don’t like doing and wondering why they’re not a success,” he says. “Success is knowing your purpose in life and having a growth plan to help you reach your maximum potential.”

Techi Jedi said:

 Fair warning - that link is going to open in this tab and whisk you away from this site. You might want to right click and open in new tab.

I'll fix that, thank you!!

11 Questions to Help You Set Meaningful Goals for the Next Decade

Maybe some inspiration here for future goal setting.