People sometimes talk about finding a life purpose or a direction in life so that you can have your dream job or dream life…yes, easy to say this, but what if we do not know our purpose and we just do not know how to start finding it. Or we think that we are not capable of doing anything that has a purpose.
Some children know already what they want to be as an adult, as if they were born with that dream and determination, and some adults still do not know what they want to be in their 40’s or 50’s. So not everyone knows what they can do, achieve and how, therefore they gradually lose their interest.
We need to have some direction first or a starting point, so let’s find out how we can do that;
1. STOP comparing yourself to others!
This is one of the worse things you can do to yourself. Strangely, suddenly, everyone else looks better, knows more than you and achieved at least three times more than you. So you can never win this battle. You can only drag yourself down, ruin your self-esteem, start feeling useless and depressed.
There is no need to compare yourself to other people. You are you and no one else. Be proud of yourself and think about your own achievements in your life. Your life has its own way, and you have your own history. And if you notice that social media has a negative effect on you, then it is time to turn away from it. Don’t forget..sometimes we only see the good side of others.
Increasing low self-esteem and learn how to find and focus on our positive side can help finding our purpose and values in life.
2. Remember what interest you had as a child.
Children like doing specific things when they play. Remember what your favourite play was, or activity. Parents or other adults can influence children and tell them what they should do and play with. They can force them so much that the child starts suppressing their own passion only because their parents told them that something was silly to do.
You can jot down every little thing you like and then rate them to see which one receives the highest rate. That could be a good starting point.
3. Reflect on your personal values.
Think of the things that will not work for you, and the things that will do! What do you like in others and why? Forget about what others say, this is about you only. Not your family values, or your friends’, but yours only. What you feel deep down. Think about what you are the proudest of so far? What did you achieve in your life that made sense to you and why?
If this was your last day on this planet what message would you leave to others?
4. Be open to other people.
When you have conversation with people, listen to your heart. What did you like in that conversation and the person? What did you dislike?
Age does not always reflect how people think. Some teenagers can have great ideas about life, and some older people’s behaviour can be shameful or disrespectful. Listen to others in a non-judgmental way and look for the good ones. Even one sentence can change your life.
5. Don’t judge yourself!
It is ok to feel lost sometimes or getting it wrong. That’s ok…it will be something to remember for next time. Something you can learn from. We judge ourselves; yes, that is quite common these days. However, when we do that all the time it is not healthy anymore. That can lead to anxiety, or depression. Judging too much is a sign of low self-esteem. The good news is that there are great techniques to use to see our true potentials (hypnotherapy and positive psychology can help a lot).
6. Take it slowly to find your life purpose.
Please don’t rush…remember….slowly but merely. If we rush, we miss the moment. If we cannot stop and enjoy the moment, we miss out on the little things that create the big ones. The little things that create the real purpose, which can be anything. Anything that gives you that special feeling. There is no deadline for this.