When was the last time you asked yourself: Why am I here? It surfaces for all of us at one time or another and more often for some than others. There is no right or wrong answer and there is no magic time in your life to land on an answer. Even if you think you have found the reason, chances are at some time it may no longer feel right. The answer can change over time because you change over time. No matter where you are in your search for the answer to this question, even if you’ve never given it any thought before now, there is no time like the present to take some bold steps and start looking for the answer. Why am I here?
Begin with this simple process. Have fun with it, be fearless and feel the joy!
Step 1. Design A Belief/Activity Board
Vision boards are wonderful tools for visualizing your goals and dreams. The same concept can be applied to finding your reason for being and it begins with defining your beliefs. A fun way to do this is to create a Belief Board. When you connect with your beliefs, the ones that empower you to live the life you imagined, you start to visualize or sense your reason for being.
Start by making a list of the beliefs of which you are most proud and certain. The ones that make you feel good when you act on them. Start with the big ones and work down. Stop when you have five or six. For example:
- Everyone is capable of greatness
- All living things are sacred
- Everything we need exists naturally on the planet
Step 2. Obtain images that speak to those beliefs.
You can use a combination of magazines, motivational quotes or images from the internet, or even physical objects like buttons and stickers. Stick to images of words and feelings for this step, we will get to action items later.
Look for motivational quotes aligned with your beliefs. Try to focus on your personal beliefs, not what someone else said you should believe in, but what your ideal self believes.
Step 3. Find images that speak to the things you love to do.
Congratulations! You have identified and found strong visuals around your beliefs. Now, make a list of things you love to do! Do you love to write, volunteer, teach, learn, participate in sports, garden, shop, spend time with your family, cook? Ask yourself, “What am I doing when I feel the happiest?” Make your list starting with the activities that bring you the greatest joy. Now look for images that convey the activities you’ve selected. Set them aside for now and we’ll get back to creating your board soon.
Step 4. Combine your beliefs with the things you love to do and create a mission statement.
Look at the list of things you love to do and match each activity to the belief behind it. Next, create a mission statement for each belief/activity combination. A mission statement is a summary of your aims and beliefs. Given your beliefs and what you love to do, what would you most like to accomplish? This is your mission statement.
This is not the time to wimp out. Think big and be fearless. You don’t have to share this board with anyone unless you want to. Look at the examples below. They are actual examples from people who have gone through this process. These folks dreamed big and are actively engaged in living their purpose. You can be too!
| BELIEF | WHAT I LOVE TO DO! | MISSION STATEMENT |
| Everyone is capable of greatness | Write/teach/coach | I help people connect with who they want to be. |
| All living things are sacred | Garden/Work with endangered animals and children | Build a self-sustaining sanctuary for at-risk animals and children. |
| Everything we need exists naturally on the planet | Swim/Boat/Walk the beach, Recycle | Find unique ways to draw life sustaining resources from the oceans without harm or depletion. |
Step 5. Construct and Display your Belief Board
Begin by writing, or printing and pasting, your mission statement in the middle of your poster board. Arrange the images that speak to your beliefs and the things you love to do around the mission statement and glue them down. Display your belief board where you will see it daily.
Now that you have your unique personal mission statement and a visual reminder of your beliefs and the things you love to do, treasure it. Live with it and experiment with it. The more you live it the more comfortable you will become with it. The day may come when you reach a tipping point and find yourself being propelled towards your “Why,” in a way you never imagined.
As we coaches so often find…YOU had the answer all along.
Thanks for reading, see you next week.
Additional Resources: Living a PurposeFULL Life , Ebook and workbook combination available through The Passionate Coach.
