To be alive with purpose do 7 things to discover true meaning.
Steve Wohlenhaus
CEO ?? at Weatherology ?? Author ?? Podcast Host ?? Speaker ?? Entrepreneur ??
There are many misconceptions about “finding purpose”.?
Purpose isn’t something we find, we create it.
It’s a process of self-discovery that requires imagination, creativity, struggle, passion, satisfaction and adversity.
Many people believe purpose is a singular thing.? Something we find.? Something we can clearly identify.? Some can.? Most can’t and never do.?
Purpose is multi-dimensional and something most people can’t define or clearly articulate.? That includes most leaders.
A Harvard study revealed only 20% of thousands of top CEOs interviewed could “name” their purpose.
Another misconception about purpose is that it remains "constant".
Purpose can change and I would argue it should change if we are constantly growing.??
Being open to the possibility of enjoying a variety of “purposes” provides us with a license to experiment and explore.?
A prerequisite of creating purpose is the ability to adapt and remain flexible.
When people believe purpose is something “they find”, life is wasted waiting for an epiphany that provides permission to finally be happy.
“The two most important days in life are the day you born and the day you discover the reason why.” – Mark Twain
To be alive with purpose do 7 things to discover true meaning:
Crowd
Most people blindly leap into the latest advice and toss around fashionable ideas that seem rational.? The problem is that few people truly examine the efficacy of these “ideas’ and spend their entire life “following the crowd”.? As a result, our purpose becomes a series of “formulas” that seem to make sense but have little personal application.? Resist following the crowd and we quickly discover what makes us genuinely happy.? The only certainty about following the crowd is that many will get lost together.
Action
The best way to get serious about cultivating purpose is to act.? Many people get stuck in a perpetual state of “searching”, which includes countless books and endless seminars.? When I decided to write my first book, I started writing.? I had never written a book before, now I write every day.? Being a writer is part of my purpose and its part of a bigger purpose that inspires my work.? Act and you will find true purpose.??
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Pain
We need to be honest with ourselves and appreciate the enormity of making big dreams a reality.? Without an honest appraisal of our ability to succeed at something, we get trapped in wishful thinking that creates frustration.? Believing you will enjoy every step of your arduous journey is unrealistic.? Big dreams take hard work, sacrifice, and lots of rejection.? Most people just assume “finding purpose” makes the pain disappear.? Pain is always part of the process of finding grater purpose.???
“Musicians must make music, artists must paint, poets must write if they are to ultimately be at peace with themselves. What human beings can be; they must be.” – Abraham Maslow
Support
Having a strong support system is essential for success.? Family, friends, or business associates can help us stay focused when our dream becomes overwhelming.? In addition, I believe cultivating purpose requires supporting other people in their pilgrimage.? Adding value to other people opens the gates of love, kindness, and reciprocity.? The benefits of giving are essential for developing greater purpose.
Discipline
The cult of finding purpose makes purpose appear magical.? The assumption, when you find it, life gets easy!? Life never gets easy so let’s stop being naive.? Without discipline and an accurate appreciation of hard work, purpose remains elusive.? When I set off to build my business 36 years ago, I was committed to the pain and struggle of being an entrepreneur.? I had an idea that I believed in, and the discipline to create a life of financial freedom and flexibility over my schedule.? Purpose emerges when we develop the required to do the hard work necessary for success.??? ??
Courage
Cultivating purpose takes courage because we will need to do what most people refuse to do.? Most people spend their lives looking for “short cuts” or “hacks” to expedite success.? Having the courage to break away from the crowd and be true to ourselves will get lonely.? Without the courage to “be alone”, we will put more emphasis on “fitting in”.?? Being successful takes courage and it requires being comfortable alone.?? ??
Explore
We need to have an adventurous heart if we hope to cultivate purpose.? It’s hard to discover the things that ignite passion if we don’t embrace new ideas, learn new things and meet extraordinary people that expose us to interesting ideas.? Having a curious mind and inventive spirit helps make cultivating purpose more palatable.
“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” – Les Brown
Sum it up.
Any other helpful hints for people pursuing their purpose?? Share your thoughts in the comments section and please like and share this article. I love learning from you as well.
About Steve:
Steve Wohlenhaus is CEO of Weatherology, the leading company in the world at disseminating audio weather information.?? Steve began his career as a major market television weather anchor in Minneapolis, where he received several Emmy Awards for science programming.? Steve is an author and host of the podcast program Anatomy of Success.? Reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn.? Learn more about my work and grab the free Weatherology mobile app by clicking any picture in this article!
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1 个月That's a very insightful post; thank you for sharing! However, based on my experience helping many people find their true purpose, I respectfully disagree with some points. Our core purpose isn’t created; it’s uncovered. It’s always within us, waiting to be recognized. Purpose isn’t creative work; it’s detective work. By looking inward and asking,?Who am I made to BE??instead of?What should I DO?, we can find our true purpose. While everyone has one major life purpose, it encompasses all areas of our lives—not just work, but also family, relationships, community etc. This is a common mistake in many purpose discovery frameworks: they treat purposes as separate when it’s actually the foundation for everything we do. We don’t need to DO only one thing; we can pursue many activities aligned with our purpose. So, we should focus on the one thing to BE. Our core purpose doesn’t change; it’s our essence. We only need to discover it once and spend our lives living it boldly. Vision, mission, goals, and identity may evolve, but purpose remains fixed. I very much agree on the importance of action—our purpose statement only becomes powerful when we act on it. Infusing everything we do with meaning makes our lives truly fulfilling.
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1 个月Great post! I completely agree that having a sense of purpose is crucial for a fulfilling life. In addition to the 7 things mentioned, I believe that cultivating gratitude and practicing mindfulness can also help us discover our true meaning. By being grateful for what we have and being present in the moment, we can gain clarity and perspective on what truly matters to us. It's also important to remember that our purpose may evolve and change over time, and that's okay. As we grow and learn, our priorities and passions may shift, and it's important to be open to that. Thanks for sharing this valuable insight!
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1 个月Insightful read, Steve Wohlenhaus! Purpose truly is a journey of self-discovery and growth. Embracing change, action, and courage can lead us to a more meaningful life. Thank you for sharing! ?? ??
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