Knowing Yourself and Finding Your Life's Purpose
By Michael Ireland
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When we feel inspired in our lives, we can become so on fire with an idea that we know we just can’t lose. But inspiration can ebb and flow, it can be here today, and gone tomorrow. To keep inspiration flowing, it helps to have motivators. Here is one of the three essential steps you can take to make sure you stay on the path to reaching your goals.
To create the life you want to live, there are a few fundamental traits you need to maximize: Self-Esteem, Self-Love and Confidence are key to moving forward to create your destiny. Sometimes the greatest barrier to feeling confident in the way you move through your life is wanting things to be different than they are. Do you like where you are? Do you like yourself? Do you feel great about your life? Whatever your answers are, you must accept who you are and where you are, completely and fully, right here, right now. Easy to say, difficult to do, right? Try this exercise – grab a hand-sized mirror, find a private space and get comfortable. Take the mirror in your hand, look at yourself, and talk to yourself for two minutes. Tell yourself how wonderful you are. Look yourself in the eye and list your finest features – be they elements of your personality or an inventory of your innate talents. Sounds easy? Give it a try! The first thing you’ll likely discover is how harshly you judge yourself. Practice this “mirror exercise” long enough, though, and you’ll lose the judgment and replace it with a great sense of confidence. You’ll even learn to love your little flaws!
In order to love yourself, you really do have to let go of judgment. No matter what happens, what hot water you get yourself into on any given day, never judge yourself. Just let yourself be whoever you are, right here and right now. Letting go of judgment means not judging others, either. Accept others for who and what they are, no matter what. Remember, nobody is perfect, everyone has their story and their reasons for doing what they do. We can never know where someone else is coming from. So, always be kind and compassionate – to yourself and to others. A kind word, a humble gesture of caring, a smile given unbidden to a stranger – all of these actions can make an enormous difference. It is as if your smallest kindness is the breath of air that ignites an ember into a flame…and then the flame grows, to be passed along. You never know how far the smallest token of kindness might travel! Help an elderly person cross the street, open the door for someone, give a homeless person a sandwich. Be receptive in every moment and wait for Spirit to fill your heart with love, gratitude – and, best of all, self-respect.
Now, ready to move forward? Buy yourself a nice journal, get quiet, and record your answers to a few simple questions. Whom do you admire the most in your life? Why? What beliefs, gifts and attributes does that person have that you most respect? Okay. Next ask yourself: What are your values? Values are core principles that guide you. For example, are you a kind person? Honest? Do you have deep integrity? Now ask: What are your deepest beliefs? What gifts do you have that best define you? What characteristic of your personality best describes you? It is quite probable that when you compare your gifts, beliefs, values and attributes with those of the person you most admire – you’ll find that yours are in tandem with theirs. So, you can be confident that you already have all the traits and talents you need to get what you want in life!
When you have answers to all these questions, and you have written them down, now is the time to get even more creative. Draw them, create a collage, paint them into a picture, write a poem or a song, tell a friend … express yourself boldly and freely. Creativity unleashes inspiration. Inspiration in turn stimulates creativity!
Once you have created your piece of art, music or poetry that expresses outwardly your inner feelings, you are ready to move on. Grab your journal, ask yourself these questions and write down the answers: What would you do if you knew you could only succeed with flying colors? Are there secret dreams you’ve always dreamed? Things you wish you could be? Things you want to do? Where does your greatest creativity lie? What are your deepest desires? What do you enjoy? What makes you feel happy? What motivates you into action? What do you love about your life? What do you not love about it? What can you change and what can you not change? What do you want?
And, that’s the Big Question. What do you want? Do you crave love? Security? Money? Adventure? Fun? Whatever it is, that’s your starting point to acquiring a true sense of purpose. If you don’t have a sense of purpose now, that’s okay. By asking these questions, going within and drawing forth your answers, your purpose will reveal itself. When you ask yourself what you want, include material possessions if you wish, but remember to include your values as well. Include characteristics and traits that you admire in others and those you hope to acquire yourself. And remember, whatever it is that you want in your life, you must give away. If you want love, love; if you want kindness, be kind; if you want others to act with integrity, act with integrity; if you want compassion, be compassionate! The universe mirrors your actions every step of the way, so give the universe your Best Self to reflect. Remember the adage “you reap what you sow?” In every moment, with every thought you think and every step you take, you are planting the seeds of your tomorrows. Plant wisely!
About the Author:
Michael Ireland is a writer, editor and wellness practitioner. She specializes in metaphysics, spirituality and self-development.
You can connect with her at:
michaelireland@shaw.ca