Unwrapping Your Purpose Package

Jan 8, 2019

We’re kicking off the new year with another solo episode. For many, this is a time of New Year’s resolutions, transitions, or taking those next steps. For this episode, we’re exploring the idea of purpose and using new language to frame it: What does it mean to unwrap your Purpose Package?

What is the Purpose Package?

The Purpose Package refers to two things: (1) purpose as a gift that arrives in your life and that you have to share with others, and (2) the benefits you receive when you choose to embrace and express purpose through your business and your life.

The joy in the search

Take joy in the search for your purpose. It’s a journey. Enjoy it and don’t rush to your destination. And the destination is not the end journey, it’s a doorway. The goal is to live and lead out of your room of purpose as much as possible.

Finding your Purpose Package

Purpose is like a Russian nesting doll. There are many layers to exploring, unpacking, and understanding your gift:

1) The first area to look at is your gifts, talents, and abilities. Everyone is gifted, but most of us don’t recognize it in ourselves because it comes so naturally. To help you identify your gifts, ask those close to you: What is it that they see you doing effortlessly that they wish they could do?

2) Another element of purpose is your life experience. Map out the milestones of your life journey and think of three types of moments as you’re doing this:

• Defining Moments, or moments that changed the trajectory of your life for good or bad.
• Refining or Crucible Moments are the hardships you’ve encountered. These are some of your greatest gems because you have the ability to comfort or encourage others with the lessons you’d learned going through these moments.
• Confining Moments are moments that alter your perception of yourself or some aspect of your life. It’s what Brené Brown calls Creativity Scars, and they seek to seal up the gift that’s in you and close you off from others.

Now, others may have similar gifts, talents, and abilities as you do, but when you bring your personality, life journey, experiences, and perspectives to the table, that allows you to make a contribution in the way only you can make it.

3) The next area is your joy and your genius. Genius is putting your gifts to work and spending as much time as possible doing what you are most gifted to do. And that produces joy.

4) The last thing to consider is your values. You might be using your gift and tapping into your genius, but if you have to compromise your values in the process, you’re living in frustration. Understand what matters most to you and never sacrifice it for what’s convenient.

The benefits of sharing your purpose with others

Shining your light invites others to do the same. People are waiting for you to share your gift, so they can benefit from it. And the benefit for you is living in joy from sharing that gift.

Another benefit is the love, peace, and harmony we experience from living in rhythm with who we are created to be, and doing what we are created to do.

It’s not all rainbows and unicorns though: tapping into your purpose helps you persevere through tough times, and may mean righting something that’s wrong with the world. Living out your purpose can be uncomfortable, but it will bring you great fulfillment.

Final thoughts

Purpose thrives in community and starves in isolation. Commit time to unwrapping your Purpose Package so that you can share it with others and know the joy of doing that.

Resources

Episode 75: 7 Hopes for You in the New Year

Living Your WHY – a Mini Manifesto on Purpose

Episode 56: How to Find Your Purpose with Nick Craig

Episode 12: Interview with Thom Winninger

Milestones Journey Map

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown (Amazon)

The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level