Is there really one question or method that can help you answer each or all three of these questions? Let’s find out.
First, a few thoughts about each . . .
Life Purpose
This one gets a lot of play. I think it’s because many of us feel if we, without question, know what our purpose is, we can (we believe) demonstrate, to ourselves and others, that we actually have one. By default of being here, you have a primary purpose—to have a human experience! If you find yourself craving to know what your “specific” purpose is, how about you put that down for a bit, tune into what YOU FEEL inspired and/or motivated to do whether for all time or the next few weeks, months, or years—and do it or them. If you do that, it’s pretty darn likely that you’ll manage to live your purpose, however it gets done. Walking around wondering what it is and questioning every decision or indecision isn’t fun or fulfilling—it’s frustrating. Also know that life purpose and life work (career) may or may not be the same thing. For some it is, for others it isn’t.
True Goals
What YOU really want to do for all time or for the next few weeks, months, or years. True goals are what YOU want to experience, enjoy, achieve, fulfill, help make happen, and so on. A true goal should never, ever, ever be about what another wants or believes you should do. True goals are what you go after when you get out of your own way.
Bucket List
You’re never too young or too old to put something on this list (or check it off once achieved). If you’re not playing with such a list, consider doing so. Make it a safe zone where you write anything you wish to experience. No “I can’t” or “That’ll never happen” thoughts—if/when they occur—are to be allowed to stop you from putting down what you want, including the who, what, when, where, and how you want it to look, be, and feel for you. The HOW it happens is to be left alone, unless an inspired idea comes to you about how to help make it happen. Otherwise, putting your unfettered items on this list will, remarkably, cause them to show up at their right timing—if they are truly aligned with what you are here to experience.
So, what’s the question?
It comes from Willie Jolley. Imagine your doctor tells you s/he’s got bad news and good news. (I promise it’s like but not exactly the same as the question you already know.) The bad news is you have a condition and it’s confirmed you have exactly one year left to live. As day 365 ticks over into day 366, you exit. The good news is there’s no feelings of poor health involved—you have energy—and the really good news is that you get to pick ten things you want to do/accomplish, knowing an aspect of this condition is that you WILL succeed fully at each of them.
What ten things would you pick? To help you with this, if you decide to “play,” just start writing. If your top ten aren’t obvious, compare item one to item two. Which one matters more to you? Put a checkmark by it. Compare item one to item three and pick the one you want more. Continue this item-to-item comparison until you’ve gone through all the items. Count the checkmarks for each item and you’ll see what your top ten are. You may see that some of your items fit into Life Purpose, True Goals, or Bucket List—or two categories or all three at once.
Don’t have ten items? No problem. Just prioritize your items and get started. If other items come to mind, add them and prioritize them. It isn’t about the number of items; it’s about what you do about the ones you have.
Think this will take too much of your time because you know your list will be too long? Well, if you’re not working on at least one item on this list right now, what’s stopping you? Are you happy letting that be a reason (or excuse)? What can you do that you will do?
You are what you practice.
© 2010, Joyce Shafer
Showing posts with label I don’t know what I want to do. Show all posts
Showing posts with label I don’t know what I want to do. Show all posts
Friday, July 30, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
How to Identify Your True Calling
Read this question and note how it makes you feel: If you had to do (HAD to do) one thing for the rest of your life—for no pay—what would it be? What you FEEL is a key to learning something about yourself.
Some of you had no problem answering this question. You’ve always known what you wanted to do and are either doing it or working your way towards it.
Some of you have never had a good enough question (like this one) to assist you to tune into what you really want to do, usually because others have readily offered their opinions and reasons as “wise” guidance.
Some of you were NOT inspired by this question—you had an opposite experience. Rather than stimulating you to really feel your way to your appropriate answer, it’s likely your mind started to consider what you’d have to give up (and how that would feel), in order to do just one thing.
A prevalent, imposed mainstream belief is that you HAVE to pick one thing and become expert at it—because you “should” have the desire to be a huge success; and you can achieve what’s expected of you by following this path.
If I asked for a show of hands to see how many of you were ever told (and witnessed), “Success is when you love your life; and only you can determine what that means for you,” there might be some hands that went up, but I doubt it would be the majority.
Often, people try to figure out what they will do, based on what they can earn from it. Let’s not attach judgment to that decision-making method, but let’s recognize that it’s faulty motivation for some of you. (And some of you hold the belief that no one would pay you to do what you really would love to do. Question: Is that 100-percent absolutely true? Question: What action would you take if you didn’t have that doubting belief?”)
I don’t readily recall his name, but I watched a PBS program segment about the guy who created that online security feature where you have to prove you’re a human, not another computer, by typing in one or two displayed misshapen words. That’s only one of his achievements; and he’s considered by many to be one of the geniuses of our age. When this guy graduated from university, Bill Gates approached him with an employment offer. The guy turned him down. He wanted to teach at the university he graduated from. He loves the extra requests-for-service he gets that allow him to apply his genius, but teaching and making it fun fulfills him. Some might say he’s a fool for turning Gates down, but he’s genuinely happy with his life. He IS paid well for his other efforts. By following his feelings (rather than what some might have expected him to do), he enjoys the best of both worlds.
For those of you who shivered or broke into a sweat trying to figure out what you’d give up, visit Barbara Sher’s website to learn about Scanners, if you haven’t already. You may have been or are frustrated by all the advice to pick one thing and do it. This kind of advice to a Scanner is like telling a brown-eyed person to make their eyes blue by using willpower. A Scanner forced to do only one thing is a frustrated, unhappy individual whose creativity stays dormant rather than is shared. A better question for Scanners might be: What two (or three) to five (or more) things would you do if you had to do them the rest of your life?
You may have held the belief that it should be simple to identify your true calling—and found it wasn’t or hasn’t been. Use the question. Eliminate any “voices” but your own. Put logic and “shoulds” aside. Whatever your initial thought about trusting what you feel is (because feelings get a bad rap), try this: “I’m putting aside all thoughts and logic for a moment. What do I really feel?” Let your inner voice, your inner Self who knows you better than anyone, speak to you. Its language is feelings. You have them for a reason.
Also, allow that your calling may “call” you for a finite period of time, then another one calls out to you—even in later years. Don’t argue with this, have a conversation with it.
If you’re not already doing what you really want to do, ask yourself the question. Your calling—or callings—are waiting for you.
You are what you practice.
© 2010, Joyce Shafer
Some of you had no problem answering this question. You’ve always known what you wanted to do and are either doing it or working your way towards it.
Some of you have never had a good enough question (like this one) to assist you to tune into what you really want to do, usually because others have readily offered their opinions and reasons as “wise” guidance.
Some of you were NOT inspired by this question—you had an opposite experience. Rather than stimulating you to really feel your way to your appropriate answer, it’s likely your mind started to consider what you’d have to give up (and how that would feel), in order to do just one thing.
A prevalent, imposed mainstream belief is that you HAVE to pick one thing and become expert at it—because you “should” have the desire to be a huge success; and you can achieve what’s expected of you by following this path.
If I asked for a show of hands to see how many of you were ever told (and witnessed), “Success is when you love your life; and only you can determine what that means for you,” there might be some hands that went up, but I doubt it would be the majority.
Often, people try to figure out what they will do, based on what they can earn from it. Let’s not attach judgment to that decision-making method, but let’s recognize that it’s faulty motivation for some of you. (And some of you hold the belief that no one would pay you to do what you really would love to do. Question: Is that 100-percent absolutely true? Question: What action would you take if you didn’t have that doubting belief?”)
I don’t readily recall his name, but I watched a PBS program segment about the guy who created that online security feature where you have to prove you’re a human, not another computer, by typing in one or two displayed misshapen words. That’s only one of his achievements; and he’s considered by many to be one of the geniuses of our age. When this guy graduated from university, Bill Gates approached him with an employment offer. The guy turned him down. He wanted to teach at the university he graduated from. He loves the extra requests-for-service he gets that allow him to apply his genius, but teaching and making it fun fulfills him. Some might say he’s a fool for turning Gates down, but he’s genuinely happy with his life. He IS paid well for his other efforts. By following his feelings (rather than what some might have expected him to do), he enjoys the best of both worlds.
For those of you who shivered or broke into a sweat trying to figure out what you’d give up, visit Barbara Sher’s website to learn about Scanners, if you haven’t already. You may have been or are frustrated by all the advice to pick one thing and do it. This kind of advice to a Scanner is like telling a brown-eyed person to make their eyes blue by using willpower. A Scanner forced to do only one thing is a frustrated, unhappy individual whose creativity stays dormant rather than is shared. A better question for Scanners might be: What two (or three) to five (or more) things would you do if you had to do them the rest of your life?
You may have held the belief that it should be simple to identify your true calling—and found it wasn’t or hasn’t been. Use the question. Eliminate any “voices” but your own. Put logic and “shoulds” aside. Whatever your initial thought about trusting what you feel is (because feelings get a bad rap), try this: “I’m putting aside all thoughts and logic for a moment. What do I really feel?” Let your inner voice, your inner Self who knows you better than anyone, speak to you. Its language is feelings. You have them for a reason.
Also, allow that your calling may “call” you for a finite period of time, then another one calls out to you—even in later years. Don’t argue with this, have a conversation with it.
If you’re not already doing what you really want to do, ask yourself the question. Your calling—or callings—are waiting for you.
You are what you practice.
© 2010, Joyce Shafer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
