Purpose: Aligning With What Already Is
- Atoya
- Feb 19, 2018
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 12, 2019
Discovering your life's purpose is one of the most fulfilling revelations that you will ever have. Life coaches, spiritual leaders, and motivational speakers are helping us have intentional conversation about finding the thing that God has purposed us to do. If you aren’t careful though, you’ll find yourself thinking so deeply about your purpose that you totally miss it. Let me say that again for the people in the back. You totally miss it!
Here’s the thing, purpose is engraved in your DNA. It’s who you are at the core of your being. After learning the hard way, I realize that more often than not, your purpose doesn't take years to discover. It's usually sitting there, right in front of your face. For some though, figuring out life’s assignment is downright depressing and confusing as hell. Social media only allows your assignment to be connected to a few praiseworthy things, right? So if who you are and what you have to give is outside of the norm, you may find yourself picking something that looks kind of fly versus “aligning” with what already is.
RED FLAG SIS: THIS BEHAVIOR PUTS YOU AT RISK OF ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE IN SOMEONE ELSE’S GIFT AND NOT YOUR OWN!
I’ll be the first to say that some time ago I had no idea what my assignment was. There were so many things that I was passionate about that I didn’t really think my purpose was connected to one thing. In retrospect though, it’s obvious that empowering, inspiring, and uplifting others is my to-do, but the execution of it is multi fold. It's important that as an individual who may have a number of amazing ideas and different interests, that you take note of the connection between these things. For example, my personal experience is that no matter how many ideas I have, they all lead back to speaking to the heart of others.
So exactly how do you reveal your purpose? I’m glad you asked. Below I'll share a few things that guided me along the way with examples of each.
Your purpose may be found in the things that you are genuinely passionate about.
(If having a conversation with someone changes the trajectory of even just a few hours of their day, my soul is happy. If posting a quote to my social media account, inspires someone to keep going, I personally feel that I have done my work. It's fulfilling on a totally different level.)
Your purpose may be identified in your organic actions, behavior, or mindset.
(After I starting a motivational lifestyle brand, The Work Then Werk Movement, a close friend helped me realize that I had operated as a voice of encouragement since we were in high school. I had always been the hype girl of the group. In my mind, there was nothing that my girlfriends couldn’t do!)
Your purpose may be found in the things that people always ask of you.
(Pay attention to the reasons that others reach out to you. Everyone from associates, co-workers, family, and my closest friends know that during tough seasons of their life, I’m genuinely interested in helping them find solutions and getting back to their happy place. Because of this - they always reach out to me for support.)
Your purpose is something that you’ll do to impact, even if there’s no recognition.
(It’s not about who knows my name, but what's more important to me is what I’m known for by the people who do. The goal is that I interact with others in a way that encourages them to live the fulfilling life that they deserve.)
Now you may wonder if creating The Work Then Werk Movement alone was my life's assignment. Not exactly Sis. Creating the movement was an extension of my purpose to be a vehicle of support and encouragement among women who look like me.
Sis, I recently wrote a book, Girl You Have Purpose. I had no idea at the time that I wrote this blog that becoming an author would be in my deck of cards! This read will help you get off the sidelines of your assignment by identifying your gift and understanding how you should use your "it factor" to serve others!
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