FINDING YOUR PURPOSE

There exist copious amounts of written materials on the subject matter of purpose. The dynamic and charismatic Bishop T.D. Jakes often says, "Everything happens when you find your purpose and nothing happens before you do."

Still, for Author and Motivational Speaker Myles Munroe, "The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life without a purpose." It may seem strange to discuss the topic of purpose in a book about entrepreneurial success. However, you shouldn't read for long before you find it's not so farfetched after all.

What is this thing called purpose anyway? What is this overarching fascination with what seems to be a buzz word for every motivational speaker, life coach and transformational leader?

Simply put, it is that gut feeling, inclination or calling to a life's vocation that fuels passion and drive in an individual. It is that one thing that we were created to do and to live by; it is that burning desire to do the thing that gives us satisfaction. If we do otherwise, invariably we are faced with emotional instability, discomfort and heartache.

That we have been given the gift of life for a reason is an argument held to be true by many. Probably nine out of every ten persons have at one point or another asked the question, "Why am I here?" For some, the answer unfolded mere years after exiting the womb; some when they got to middle age; yet others when they were quite close to the tomb. Sadly there are those who died without ever knowing; without ever exposing the world to their leadership, skills and talent, to that one special thing that only they alone were created to execute.

Each of us has been given talents and skills that are unique to us. Sometimes we are unable to be purposeful because we are caught up with trying to be all things to all people. We are busy trying to develop our weaknesses instead of focusing on our strengths. This is one sure way to miss the mark of why we are here.

What is the practical manifestation of a life without purpose? People who aren't living on purpose are often unexcited about waking up in the mornings. They get anxious about facing the day ahead, probably to get to a job executing functions that deplete their energy. Life for them begins to feel like a rat race, merely existing and not living. There can be no joy in that kind of life. Steve Jobs knew how to deal with this existence. He said, "For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something."'

I have asked myself this question on numerous occasions. In December, 2010; I became frustrated and uncomfortable with the status quo of going to a job I no longer felt fulfilled doing. After much praying and deliberation, I acted on the most profound response I could ever ask for. Reading my daily subscription of the devotional, The Daily Hope—from the author of Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren, I got yet another response to my many months of questioning my next move. This particular morning's edition was written by Tom Holladay, a pastor at Warren's Saddleback Church in Southern California. The title of the devotional had me in awe. It stated, "Obeying God Requires You Take a Risk." If for one moment I thought the title of the devotional was just a mere coincidence, toward the end of it, "... that risk of faith could mean ... leaving your job" sealed the deal for me. I eventually decided to walk away from the security of full-time employment a few months after in February, 2011.

It took all the strength I had to do this; to walk away from the security of paid vacation, sick leave, health insurance, pension plan, subsidized lunch and the whole shebang. It wasn't easy, but it had to be done!

It is important to remember that emotions and moods are fickle. While we may not always feel as though on top of the world even when we are doing what we are called to do, undoubtedly we live each moment embracing the joys of life with a sense of gratitude for each day that passes and the experiences that accompany them. A life of purpose enables us to awake each day ready to seize every opportunity that presents itself and to create opportunities where none seem to exist. Every day for us becomes a wonderful day to be breathing.

As you go through your days, a good habit to develop is to check your mood temperature to determine how purposeful your life is. Do you experience them in extreme? If you cannot answer with a resounding 'no' then chances are you are not living on purpose.

While a life of purpose will not always guarantee you a life free from lows, when they surface, you will be able to snap out of them quickly. Instead of throwing pity parties, you take moments to be grateful for the small things in life such as the chirping of birds, the flowering of a plant, and the swaying of a tree limb or a simple business idea being brought to life.

When you're living on purpose, you're fulfilled because you're living a life engulfed in personal meaning. You stop questioning your reason for existence and instead embrace every moment of your life and the path you have chosen. Life becomes beautiful.

Only a life lived on purpose is a fulfilled life. A life of purpose prevents you from being an enemy to yourself; you will know better than to underestimate the power of words. You will believe in the power of positive thinking and self-fulfilling prophecy and choose to speak positively about yourself at all times, because whatever you believe about yourself is truth.

How many of us while growing up have heard words like, "you'll never amount to anything?" In Jamaica, family members sometimes tell the children in their families that "you're just like yuh wutliss puppa." Those are words that pierce deeper that any sword could and can either make or break you depending on your mind-set. It takes practice to replace those negative words reverberating in your psyche with positive ones.

To erase one negative word spoken, it takes repeating a positive word many more times. It is important to think and speak positively at all times as you strive to fulfill your destiny. At all costs, avoid speaking negatively about yourself and those around you. Forget the painful negative words you may have heard at the varying stages of your life. You have the power to control your thoughts; take them captive and believe only the positive ones. Sift the negative ones out and cast them aside.

The power of words is undeniably strong; the tongue is a powerful sword. It is imperative to speak positively into your life even when others are saying otherwise; write affirmations and repeat them daily stating them in the NOW.

For example if your goal is to be the owner of a multi-billion dollar business, say "I AM the owner of a multi-billion dollar corporation." In the beginning it might sound crazy but as you keep saying it, you get used to it and start believing. Because you BELIEVE, you DO the necessary actions to make it a reality. You will be amazed how things begin to unfold right before your eyes. Many of the things that are happening in my life now are things that I believed and affirmed would manifest such as starting a business, writing a book, creating a hosting my radio shows and travelling the world among other things.

Peace and purpose are inextricably linked. Only a mind that is at ease with its calling can categorically claim to be at peace. Focusing on things with intrinsic value will help to provide that calming sense of serenity.

Money does not bring happiness. Resist the temptation to focus your life solely on making a dollar. It does not push you beyond your limit nor does it challenge you. Living for something greater than money provides personal gratification in a way that is sometimes hard to explain. The ability to put a smile on another person's face gives a deeper meaning to life for example. This is what makes the world a better place amidst all the hurt and pain facing the human race.

If you are not already living on purpose, your desire to get there will lead you to a point where you begin to feel uncomfortable. There will come a point when the status quo is no longer acceptable. It is alright to get comfortable feeling uncomfortable; think of the caterpillar during its period of metamorphosis—from egg to larva to pupa and then into an adult—a beautiful butterfly. Gold goes through the fire to be refined.

When you combine your strengths with your passions there is no limit to where your life will go. Identify what it is that you can do even with your eyes closed. What moments are you happiest? Embark on a hero's journey and do that which you were made for. To borrow the words of gospel recording artiste Alvin Slaughter, "Launch out into the deep, let your faith take you somewhere you've never been before." Whatever it is, just do it!

Living a life of purpose prevents you from falling into the trap of craving the validation of others. When you know who you are and what your reason for life is, it doesn't matter if others don't believe in you. Your self confidence gets bigger than any one person's belief in you.

We must never rely on people's opinion which could prevent us from soaring to the height of our vocations. Know too, that in life there will be those who will journey with you only to a point of their own anticipation of where you will end up. The moment you surpass where they originally thought you would have reached, they may no longer celebrate with you. They have put limitations on themselves and by extension have also placed the same on you. Don't succumb to this trap. Run!

While there is no standard blueprint to follow in identifying one's purpose, there are some factors which remain constant in the pursuit of purpose. Here are some sure signs that you are living a life that was meant specifically for you:

* It is true that if you love what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life. When you truly love what you are doing you will be excited about doing it. The result is an obsession that is almost inexplicable and you enjoy every moment of it. This gives you joy and a true sense of reason for living. In the moments you feel like you want to stay in bed and simply let time pass by, there is a constant reminder of the reasons not to and your energy comes from that. It doesn't matter how exhausted I am, I always have more energy to pursue aspects of my entrepreneurial quest without it ever feeling like work.

* There are times others may be trying to get your attention but you are so focused it appears that there is no one around. You are always focused when doing what you love. You do not allow yourself to get distracted. 'Random' social events will not appeal to you much, as your gaze is affixed on your prize.

* You have a strong underlying belief that you are doing what you were created for. You may have tried several things before and soon found that your interest in them disappeared as quickly as they came.

* You keep a clear vision all the time of where you want to reach irrespective of any 'failure' that may happen along the way.

* Even with a clear vision, there are times you are not quite sure of what to do. As chapters unfold and phases roll out and define themselves, you stay open to guidance from professionals, books, CDs, the internet or whatever resource is available to you. Although it is your purpose, you will never be able to accomplish it alone. Forging strategic alliances with the right people and organizations and having the right tools, is a sure way to get ahead. I have aligned myself to many business services and other organizations. For example, my association with JAMPRO has enabled me to be exposed to capacity building, access to markets and many other valuable resources and have established me as a bona-fide entrepreneur. Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) is another strategic alliance I have formed, obtaining grants, training and market penetration opportunities. I also rely much on inspiration from online resources.

* You keep going when the going gets tough; in those times when things don't seem to be going right. The odds all appear to be stacked up against you; yet you refuse to give up because you know that anything that is worth fighting for usually comes with challenges. I recall when my business was located in a space that was not ideal for my type of business. It felt as though everything and everyone was working against me. Yet I refused to give up. I later found an ideal location after months of what felt like punishment. In retrospect, being uncomfortable in that former location was the best thing that could have happened to me as it provided the opportunity to find somewhere more suitable.

* You surprise even yourself at your persistence and drive to press on. Challenges are inevitable; it is how you deal with them that will determine whether you are doing what you were called to do. Despite the challenges, hurdles, trials, tribulations and frustrations, you look in retrospect with delight knowing that you have totally enjoyed the experience anyway and have no regrets. The mistakes were merely to teach you lessons. You say to yourself, these mistakes only meant that you tried something new. I have learnt that challenges are just educational tools to teach you how to circumnavigate and manipulate your situations as you move forward. Without them, you would never develop the backbone and stamina required to become successful in your endeavours.

* Sometimes you find that many of the opportunities that are aligned to your purpose just seem to fall into place easily and things appear to 'just happen'. The telephone calls, emails, connections and people just seem to appear serendipitously to give guidance and assistance; things that seem to happen out of the apparent blue. The truth is, nothing happens by chance. I could provide so many examples of persons just reaching out to me, providing guidance and assistance in any way they can, because they recognize the passion with which I am in pursuit of my goal.

When I went on a Study Tour to Manchester, Berlin and Paris in 2012, it was partly because on separate occasions, representatives from JAMPRO inquired whether or not I had submitted an application to CEDA to be part of this opportunity. I had decided I wouldn't submit an application because I didn't think I met all the criteria. A few weeks after making their deadline based on the recommendation from JAMPRO, I received a letter which read:

"RE: Official Invitation to participate in a Study Tour in Europe for Caribbean business people from the Cultural Industries.

"Thank you for your expression of interest in the Study Tour of Cultural Industries for Caribbean business people that Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) is facilitating. The ACP Business Climate facility (BizClim) and CEDA are pleased to sponsor your attendance at this event."

Clearly, the weight placed on the areas in which I qualified was enough to render me successful. I was more than thankful that I had taken the advice of those ladies.

* Another important sign is that you realize what you do make a real difference in the lives of others around you. Part of the reason it is important to find your purpose is that "no man is an island, no man stands alone." The real value of what you do is manifested when others are able to say "thank you." For example, it was no doubt my involvement in business that gave me the platform to become an IBI Ambassador. The fact that I have the opportunity to influence others and experience the gratitude of the recipients is enough to keep me motivated.