How to find your purpose

We moved from an industrial revolution to the identity revolution and now everybody is asking:  What is the meaning of my life? Am I reaching my full potential? So on and so on… Sad thing is that there are not many people to turn to who have their life figured out. Most hate their work and numb their minds during their free time.  Luckily, it is not that difficult. The only things you got to do are:

  • Stop comparing yourself to the ‘norm’ or others. Its a waste of time.
  • Stop thinking of purpose as something high and mighty. You don’t have to feed the hungry, save the oceans, cure aids.

Here is how you find your purpose:

  1. Look within yourself and see what makes you happy. I mean truly, deep down happy. If nothing comes to mind that is ok. You may be new at this or are going through a rough patch, don’t stress. Pick a few potentials that you think may make you happy and go with them for now.
  2. Give it room to grow. You can collect stamps, take photos, or sail. Its your purpose, be selfish about it. Do not put it to the side, invest time into it consistently. The goal is to see if it is just a fascination or something that comes from within.
  3. Build your life around it. If you like how it makes you feel, its a good sign. Its time you move that into the front and center of your life.

Once you center your life around your happiness (not a person or a thing) You will realize that it makes all your other life decisions very easy. Whatever makes you happy, no matter how hard or irrelevant to others it may seem, that is your purpose… and who says it has to be the only purpose? Try it for a year or two and then re-evaluate, modify it into something else or pick a whole different purpose.

Here is briefly my discovery of my purpose. I thought sailing will make me happy, it didn’t think of it as a purpose but I felt like it would help me find my purpose. Something about it made me happy. It took 6 months of sailing to realize that it wasn’t the sailing but the freedom to go and discover new places. I could do it on budget and at my own pace. It took me another year before I figured out that my purpose is simply to inspire others to take the next step, to not be afraid to go after their dreams… to turn their dreams into a reality.

 

2 thoughts on “How to find your purpose”

  1. Hi Daniel.
    Great article. As a fellow liveaboard sailor (newbie) I really ressonated with your article. There are so many who are chasing happiness thru big houses and fancy cares, yet the secret always lays within. My time aboard my boat has taught me that, and so much more. Keep up the great writing. Rgds, Mark

    1. Hi Mark, thank you for the kind words! Feel free to connect through Instagram. (My link is on lower left side). Maybe we can chat one day in person 😉

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