7 Realizations in My Journey to Finding Purpose at Work

My journey is far from over. Yet, after a considerable amount of soul searching, I feel compelled to pass on the nuggets of learning that I’ve stumbled upon along the way – insights that may help you on your own path:

This is a Journey

Understanding your purpose involves effort, but it is rewarding work. ?It involves exploring, experimenting, and embracing mistakes. Oh, and did I mention losing thousands of dollars along the way (at least, in my case)? Some can make it look easy, but we haven’t witnessed all the trials and snares they have encountered on their path to purpose. You have to be bold and ready to face some excruciatingly difficult situations.

It’s okay to be a Doubting Thomas

I’ve always been an introspective person, which makes be a doubting Thomas about what I do. That said, I have learned from the journeys of others that there will be moments when you question your path and want to quit. That’s part of the game. I have tried to quit law several times, but some hidden force has brought me back to it.? I am honouring the calling and hope to connect the dots at some point.

Know Your Values

If you chose your career out of free will, chances are that it aligns with your values.?Fairness and integrity are perhaps what unconsciously drew me to law. While I still question whether practising law entails fulfilling my purpose, I know I am okay as long as I stay true to my core values.

Less is More

When you are cornered with your back against the wall and a trigger at your head, truth spills out. Motherhood in 2020 forced me to ask myself, “Now that I have limited time, what should I really focus on?” The fluff disappeared. When my attention isn’t diverted in many directions, I feel more aligned to my soul and purpose.

Purpose isn’t selfish.?

Purpose isn’t about ‘I-me-and-myself’. It isn’t about – what can I do to make ‘me’ feel fulfilled.? It’s about – how can I share my gifts to make this world a better place?? How can I be kind?? How can I join hands with others and celebrate our connectedness? Ever since I’ve focused on how I can support others, I feel closer to deciphering my purpose.?This one is tough because you’ve got to walk the tightrope between self-love and selflessness.

It isn’t about 'what' you do but the ‘how’

You may think that being in the corporate world cannot fulfil your purpose, but what I’ve learned is that’s far from the truth.? If you’re kind and do your work with integrity, inspiring the people around you, you’d be fulfilling your purpose because ‘purpose’ isn’t some kind of tangible goal to achieve.? It is in the little ways that you touch other people’s lives.? You could do this by mentoring, guiding, helping others build their career, giving value to your company, creating an impact with your business, or by just being nice to the people around you. It really is that simple.

Purpose isn’t always obvious

My secular spirituality is a major part of my way of life and what I have understood is that each of us holds a significant place in this world with a mighty purpose – just that sometimes this purpose is not always overt and eludes our immediate understanding. ?Despite not knowing or not being shown explicitly what our purpose is, we can listen to our inner voice – our heart and soul – which guides us day in and day out.? Listening to our inner wisdom and heeding its call leads us towards fulfilling our purpose, even if we don’t know what that is.