Create openings for your purpose to emerge

“Purpose emerges through you when you use the greatest gifts of who you are to positively impact or influence what matters to you, while being or becoming someone that you deeply respect and admire” – Connor Beaton

The path to living a life based on your own truth, not someone else’s, is to start asking yourself some deeper questions. You can start to get curious about your unique gifts and talents, and start to align your life with your deepest desires, values, wants and needs. No matter where you are in your life, it is possible to start living a more intentional purposeful life.

Examine yourself honestly

You will need to be willing to examine yourself honestly and to know yourself deeply.

Firstly, start a personal enquiry. Ask yourself these 3 questions to start living an intentional life, with purpose.

1. ‘What does life want from me?’

When we find our real purpose, provided it is built on the foundation of acceptance, compassion, kindness, lightness on the earth and not harming others (yoga values) then we find that it’s not so much about us, but what the world wants from us. Giving the unique gift of who we are becomes our greatest joy and we see our much greater potential and feel less separation from the world.

A good starting point is to ask ourselves:

  • How can I contribute meaningfully to the world?

  • What are my unique gifts?  - Write down three words or phrases that describes the best of who you are.

  • What does life want from me?  - How can I raise humanity, add value to the world, and others from a place of love and compassion for all beings?

2. ‘What are you scared of leaving?’

It’s scary leaving something you’ve done for so long. I have noticed, most people want to change, but they also don’t want to change. They like the idea of living a more adventurous life, a life of more freedom – but they don’t want to let go of all things that keep them comfortable and away from that freedom.

Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living from a place of fear. Some of our most common fears are:

  • The fear of being emotionally or physically uncomfortable,

  • Fear of uncertainty,

  • Fear of being lonely,

  • Fear of being laughed at,

  • Fear of failing,

  • Fear of disappointing the parental voices in our head

Living out our dreams means operating from a place of love, instead of fear. When we operate from a place of love, it can feel terrifying because we free fall into life’s experience!

Living from a place of love means asking before every decision:

  • How I can make this an act of love towards myself, someone else or the world in general?

Our gifts of love don’t help ourselves or others to feel comfortable or safe in our bad habits. They are a challenge leading towards deeper physical and emotional health and wisdom.

3. ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’

Anxiety can hold us back from letting go of the comfortable and familiar, when we realise, we need to follow our true calling. I find it helpful to acknowledge these fearful thoughts – but do it consciously, but also accepting that its only one part of who we are. A good question to ask ourselves is:

  • What is the worst-case scenario? Play it out in your head. And then ask,

  • Is that still going to stop me? Or,

  • Do I have it in me to work around these obstacles and learn and grow?

If we can choose to be a bit more curious than we are fearful, this allows us to still take-action through small but deliberate steps. We have a willingness to hold a place for both fear and curiosity for the adventure of the unknown.

To learn more on finding your purpose connect with some of my upcoming offerings:

Jo Jarden is a certified personal trainer and yoga teacher in Christchurch New Zealand and the founder of Heart and Mind Yoga studio. She has 10 years experience in health promotion in New Zealand and Australia including management and promotion of national chronic disease prevention programs. She now helps people find mental peace, physical vitality and to live purpose, through health coaching, yoga teaching, personal training, workplace yoga and wellness events. 

Jo JardenHeart and Mind Yoga