Thursday, June 30, 2011

Is it YOUR purpose?



Is it YOUR purpose?

Now that we are talking about “Purpose”,,,,, a lot of thinking comes out of the closet. Just because you are doing ‘something’ or headed ‘somewhere’ does not mean that you are on the path of your purpose. You could be working for twenty five years without a clue about your purpose at work or generally in life.

So how does one find one’s purpose? By finding the real reason why you are doing what you are doing? Here is how I helped one of my colleagues and you can see if the following serves any good for you.

‘So why are you doing this job? – Because it pays my bills.
Why do you need to pay your bills? – Because that is my duty, responsibility.’


See this was my point. A lot of people mistake duty and responsibility to be their purpose. Purpose is a personal thing. It is that force that drives you, that motivates you and inspires you. It’s beyond duty. It’s beyond responsibility. It is your soul’s desire for creation.

So we tried again:

‘So why are you doing this job? – Because it pays well.
No. Why are you doing this job and not any other job? – Because I got selected for this one!
If you had a choice, what kind of job would you prefer? – Ummmm, if I had a choice, I would be a musician. I love to play music. But I gave it up because I got this job.
Why do you want to be a musician? – Because I love music. Because when I play the guitar I get lost in another world. Time stops, my worries stop and a whole new world opens up. I love that place. I have a hundred melodies inside me…..’


Now we made some massive headway. Continue with the why, until you hit upon that reason of love. Continue your search until you hit upon that emotional place that makes you gulp. Your purpose must be your purpose. Your purpose must be your love, your calling, your world that you build in the depths of soul. Your purpose must be that drive which stops time, stops your worries, and opens up a whole new world of possibilities and passion. Your purpose inspires you to think creatively, to find solutions and find in you the perseverance to stay on track. Your purpose adds value to the lives of those who are touched by it. That is your purpose.

One thing became clear to my colleague though; he was doing something for which he had no drive, no feelings and no attachment. It was just a job and his purpose was that he had to pay his bills. That was the only reason for him to go to work. Do you think he was creative at work? Do you think he brought energy and drive to make things happen? Do you think he really added value at work? Well, if he had interviewed for a job at my company and if he had mentioned that he was taking up the job to pay his bills, I would not have hired him.

His real purpose was to be a musician because he loved to create music. Because when he plays music he adds value to the world.

“What is your purpose?” – What would you like to achieve in this lifetime? What would you like to do for your own self? For your family? For the world?
“What is your purpose?” – Finding an answer to this question can fuel you with endless energy and drive for a lifetime to see fulfillment!
“What is your purpose?”…….. Even if you are doing a job or are preparing for one, it is never too late to wake up to the realization of what you really want to do. And once that door is open, the next step is HOW to get through it.

17 comments:

Johnny Bedford said...

Makes a lot of sense. I had to come this point about 4 years ago after a lot of soul-searching as to what really turns me on. And it was NOT a 9 to 5 corporate job that was stressing me out and making a mess of me - body and soul. Now I have hit upon a balance where I do corporate work to pay the bills, but play the guitar and sing to enrich my soul and bring joy to others. Thanks, Priya. Love what you said.

akki said...

i am totally with the this. i always wanted to work in animation field. and i am working for it right now. but i know, for some reasons, i will have to leave this and do something that will pay my bills smoothly. but i am sure i will come back to it some day. and i guess this blog will keep reminding me that.

Bhavya Pande said...

Thanks a lot for this piece of inspiration and encouragement.
It surely ignites a spark inside.

Currently I am reading your book,'I AM another YOU' and am loving it.

You are doing a brilliant job!
Thanks very much!
God bless!

priyanka m said...

Bull's eye, this one Priya:) It makes you ponder over things you think didn't really mattered..yes, it is the herd way most of us go,but, it surely would be a whole load better if we just followed our passion instead! It sure takes courage:) Thanks for this piece Priya

priyanka m said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ramesh C said...

Absolutely. I am a professional working for 15 years and I have still this question unanswered. The dilemma between what you love to do vs paying your bills is a nig one. The beauty of this question is that if you get an answer to it, whole of your energy gets focused on one purpose and then another Priya Kumar is born. Till then it is the common one among billions like you and me.

Sunil Seth said...

Bulls eye with this one Priya!! a must for every individual to question themselves and then move ahead rather than be part of herd. Cheers! Sunil

Shahriyar Baloch said...

It,s a Great Piece Of information that answered my Question and helped me to decide a thing which i was thinking. Maybe u don,t understand this but it really help. thanks take care.

Lotus bearer said...

Great work on the book. I love the experiences u have been thru with the shamans. I have some thoughts about them.. One question comes to mind, can we reach that purpose that makes u 'gulp' focus and place by contemplation alone?
..what if one has two or three such loves..Dont these passions keep changing in life?.. with circumstance..can u throw some light on these thots. Thanks Priya.

kaur said...

priya i think it is most imp ques of ourlyf, Findng out da pupose is as imp as soul 4 body ,bt sometym fullfllng dat purpose comes secondary n ur needs bcome primarily .......

innocent1 said...

what should I do if I knew what would I love to do but I could not master in it? People with small fingers barely can get 4 out of 10 if they want to play guiter well !! I've always been wanting to WRITE but failed to jot down even pieces ..... I can't move forward.... I always get stucked somewhere Priya!
I loved your Note, amazing !!!
God bless You.

shri said...

Great article Priya! I am a professional working in the corporate world since 4yrs.I dont like my job, as I dont enjoy the same.But I also dont know the next move,if I leave this job. I have tried lot of things to understand that one purpose in my life, but have not yet found the right answer to it.
Request a piece of advice on this!

7dayholiday said...

Hi Priya, I just stumbled on to your blog from your FB page, I read your next 2 blog posts and then the white font against a black background became a strain on the eye. I just thought I should let you know, so that readers can stay on for longer.

I hope to read more of your posts soon.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Priya. You have awaken my hidden desire to follow my passion.

Kasturi said...

I have come to this point and decided to change my life, come what may!...Kasturi

Anonymous said...

That was a great one.. But I have a different perspective to Purpose, which I have shared at http://merilifemeristory.wordpress.com/
"Your purpose of life is Happiness. Every human being on this earth, whatever activity he does, is with one sole motive of happiness. So before you do any activity, just ask yourself “Will it make me Happy?” Proceed only if the answer is Yes!
Eliminate all activities from your life which do not give you Happiness & multiply those activities which give you happiness, to improve that Happiness Quotient, i.e. Happiness i.e. Your Purpose of Life!"

Unknown said...

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