Finding our purpose in Life is something every one of us strives to do. It seems only a tiny fraction of us ever find that purpose, though. But, it really shouldn’t be that way.
More recently, I’ve been seeking what I like to call an “essential purpose.” I strongly believe each and every one of us have an essential purpose we’re born into this world to achieve. The problem is that it’s not obvious. Each of us has something unique as an individual that no other individual can do. So, an “essential” purpose is something absolutely necessary for each of us to do in our time on this earth.
What is Purpose?
By definition, a purpose is “the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.” The word purpose can also be used as a verb, meaning “to have as one’s intention or objective.” So, purpose is two-fold. There are the reasons that the task you are performing is done for – those that may seem obvious. Then, there are your intentions or objectives you have in mind while performing that task.
Many tasks don’t appear essential to the world at-large at all. But, if you really think about it, every action you take does have a significant effect on the universe. It may just not be obvious. Then, you have the intentions or objectives you have in performing the task. Now, this is where finding an essential purpose comes into view.
Even the most menial task has a purpose. But, if your only objective is a paycheck, that’s not an essential purpose. It’s an objective, not a purpose. The paycheck itself should never be the purpose of your work, even if it’s a worthy objective. This is where I find it’s helpful to break down purpose into a general purpose and an essential purpose.
What is Essential?
The results are the general purpose of a successfully completed task. But, the essential purpose is finding a way to perform the task most effectively, efficiently, and with confidence to know that you can do it in a way no one else can. If you can’t find that essential purpose in what you’re doing now, you’re either doing it wrong or not doing the right thing in the first place.
Sometimes, you may think you’re doing something just because you need the money. But, even unpleasant or seemingly trivial tasks have more of an essential purpose than is at first easily understood. In fact, that purpose is often there to drive you towards your ultimate purpose.
For example, sitting down to write a blog post or an article lost its purpose for me me for some time. My objective has always been to give people actionable advice through personal experience. Then, my intention is to lift others up. When my intention didn’t seem to be working, I suddenly lost interest. The interest in my writing from others declined, as well.
It seems like common sense that if you stop caring about something, others will, too. Yet, I consistently go through periods of apathy towards my writing. During these times, I feel like I constantly have to start completely from scratch, even if what I was doing before was working for me.
Eventually, I get back to focusing on my objectives and rediscover my intention. Then, I chug along for a while. But, when I don’t get much of a response to something I write that feels very important to me, I crap out again. The cycle of frustration becomes self-defeating to the point that I never want to post anything again.
During one recent cycle of writer’s apathy, I actually convinced myself that I was finished as a writer. Clearly, that wasn’t the case. But, in order for me to not simply spend my days burying my head in video games and trading cards, I had to recognize that something needed to change with the intention of my writing.
So, What Changed About My Intention?
This idea of essential purpose started grabbing at me. I never stopped reading things or reflecting on my thoughts. I still jotted things down as I thought of them. It turned out that what makes all the difference is to never stop doing something. I still pursued the act of writing even if nothing I’d publish came out of it.
It’s essential to me that I put things in writing. Really, it’s essential for every human being to find an avenue of expression. Writing happens to be the best way for me to do that. So, I feel my own essential purpose is to help others find their individual avenue of expression that leads one to find their unique essential purpose. While it has always been one of my intentions to help others to express themselves, it wasn’t an clearly defined objective of mine. And, it’s not just through writing.
Every constructive activity is inherently creative: from building houses, to fixing plumbing or electrical, to creating a spreadsheet that displays important information in a clear and concise way. These sound like totally different things, but they are all essentially creative. They all create something new and essential, which is what it means to be creative.
Writing and other art forms are only one creative outlet. There’s rebuilding things, repurposing things, and reimagining ways of doing things. Every human being has a creative outlet. It’s just not always obvious. That’s why you try so many different things in life. You eventually find ways to do creative things, even if you don’t at first realize how creative those things are.
Creativity Breeds Inspiration
When you do something creative that inspires another person, you create a ripple effect. Inspiration is a key part of finding your essential purpose. In a lot of ways, finding your purpose really is something you have to feel out on your own. Others can point you in the right direction, and often we may find our essential purpose with the help of others.
When you do find your essential purpose, you’ll just know it out of a feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction. In finding my own essential purpose, I’m helping others find their own. In the long run, you’ll probably discover the very journey you take in finding your own purpose will offer the renewed purpose you were seeking all along.
Life really is all about the journey, who you meet along the way, and finding your way to where you just know you belong. So, even if you can’t see it now, your essential purpose is waiting for you somewhere along the way.
~ Amelia Desertsong
