Happy Saturday !

We're starting out the day with a little rain rather than our usual sun, which put the damper on our early morning coffee at the beach plans. Maybe later......

This week I've had 3 solid conversations about purpose. Finding purpose. Knowing your purpose. Feeling energized by your purpose. Creating a vision around your purpose. Lots of purpose talk!

Why do we talk about this topic so much? Is it even important? What do people mean when they talk about purpose? And why is it that so many people moan that they can't "find their purpose?"

So here's the deal. Very few people are born with a burning desire to do just one thing. And as we mature what we once though was our burning purpose shrivels up and dies under the hot sun of life. Let's take an example. When I was a kid I had two burning purposes. One was to avoid getting in trouble with my parents because I didn't want the wrath of the gods visiting me. Two was to be an astronomer.

I had a junior microscope. I had many books about the constellations and the stars and the moon. I was all set - until I got in high school and realized that being an astronomer was sort of another name for being a physicist. And while I am gifted in many things and love many topics, I hated higher math and intro to physics. Just plain hated it.

Purposes change sometimes. Usually due to circumstances. Sometimes due to our inability to see that having purpose doesn't have to be grand and magnanimous or fill us with self-importance.

Purpose really means "what are you aligned with long term?" What gives you ground no matter what. What are you willing to spend your life's time on, that you care about deeply? It's an essence, not a topic, really. And we need this, we need to know who we are. Purpose means finding and knowing and standing in who you are. It requires self-examination and thoughtfulness and perhaps facing things about one's self one would rather not face.

This may sound strange to you, but "living on purpose" really means living in joy. Not certainty. There is no certainty in life. If you never knew that before you sure ought to know that after the past 12 months!

Purpose is tied to what you truly, really want for yourself in this life. And honestly, we don't know that until we get a little life experience.

I recommend writing it out. Get to know yourself. Figure out what you do and don't like. I say this because I'm betting half the people I know don't begin to live in a way that pleases them. And they will continue to do that until the very day they die unless they start finding their purpose - their ground, Who they are.

Purpose requires courage - the courage to look and the courage to make changes.

I'd love to know if you feel like you know you purpose. Seriously would! You can hit "reply" and simply say yes or no or I'm not sure. There's no right answer.

I'll see you Monday!

Sue Painter

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