The Journey to Purpose
It’s November, our theme for this month is vocation, and this week’s topic is finding your purpose.
If you’re like me, you might still be asking yourself the question, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” But that’s OK, because I think we should ask ourselves this question in every season of our lives, and maybe every day. Discovering your purpose is a journey, and it can have lots of twists and turns.
My journey has brought me to this role that I love at Courage to Caregivers. Helping, supporting, empowering, and listening to others are all things that I love to do. And by the way, I don’t consider this to be work … it’s a passion, and it’s a calling. Without a doubt, it’s a big part of what I feel is my purpose.
If you’re still searching for something that makes you feel this way, don’t give up on YOU. Finding your purpose takes time and soul-searching of the deepest kind. Try doing these things to help you on your journey:
Be curious. Ask questions, take chances, and explore the world around you. Dig deep into a passion or a strength. Learn a new trade or skill. What have you always wanted to try?
Examine your motives. Are you looking for recognition and validation, or are you more interested in working behind the scenes anonymously? Why does something truly interest you?
Trust your intuition. That sixth sense, the feeling that something is right (or wrong), can guide you if you trust it.
Evaluate your life. Are you doing something because it brings you happiness and fulfillment, or just because you think it’s what others expect you to do? You may have responsibilities, but there is usually more than one way to accomplish a goal.
Like so many things associated with self-care, finding your purpose can be hard, especially for caregivers. Because most caregivers don’t choose their role, their feelings about caregiving may vary from day to day. On a good day, you feel like you’re supporting positive change and enhancing someone’s life. On a frustrating day, you may feel anger, resentment, or sadness. I’ve experienced all of these feelings at different times in my role as a caregiver. But we all should remember that caregivers are heroes, and as Rachael at The Be Well Place reminds us, Life Doesn’t Have to Be Epic to Be Awesome.
To find your purpose, you definitely need to be in touch with YOU, and that takes a lot of self-love, self-compassion, and definitely, NO self-judgment.