Trusting Your Purpose

If you discover your purpose...do yourself and the world a favor and fully embrace it. You won't always understand the impact or import of your purpose. The saying "all will be known in due time" is especially relevant when applied to our reason for being.

Most of my life I doubted my purpose even though I was very clear what it is.

I’m grateful that now and every day ahead - I can fully embrace and trust my purpose and let it guide everything.

What is purpose?

In its simplest form, purpose is the reason something or someone exists. The Japanese philosophy of Ikigai goes further to call purpose our motivating force.? And uses a beautiful illustration to show purpose at the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs and what you can be paid for.? Google it for a dozen version of the ven diagram!

I Discovered My Purpose Early in Life

I was thrust into a leadership training series as part of a corporate pilot when I was in my early twenties.? I am a good Guinea pig as I'm endlessly curious and analyze everything!? I loved the process and time of “forced reflection”.? I continued the course of study (roughly 400 hours over 4 years) through a self discovery workshop that pushed me way out my comfort zone and past my fears…to reveal the truth at the core of my being.

My purpose is to explore the world its people, places, cultures and traditions a in such way that my experiences enrich the lives of others.

But I was young. I didn’t trust myself.? I thought what I’d discovered couldn’t be valid.? Even more challenging for me, it felt very self centered and self indulgent.

Yet…the words and spirit I uncovered stayed with me. Outside of the workshop I never wrote them down.? I see now, that they were / are so much the essence of who I am they were just always there. ? I decided I would let them run in the background of my professional career and guide my choices that way.

It made for 30 years of deeply fulfilling work.

How my Purpose Manifested?

I’ve worked in the food business my whole life.? I made sure that whatever job I took or project I worked on brought in the people, places, culture and tradition of food.? We never wrote a recipe or sold a product without understanding and telling the story of the people who created it and its place of origin.? We created experiences where customers wanted to take the time to connect with food on a deeper level.? Whenever possible, I would visit or experience things first hand.? When I wasn’t able to, I soaked in every detail from those who had.

Later, as I took the nonprofit fork in the road, my work centered on food equity.? To be effective I had to connect with people and communities who face barriers that are profound. Steeping myself in culture became uncomfortable as I delved into the experiences of Native American, Black American and Asian American communities specifically and people of color generally and the role I play in perpetuating systems of oppression. It took years of self and supported education for me to authentically say I am an ally and anti-racist.? All the while, hard as it was, I knew this was my work to do because it aligns with my purpose.? That gave (and still gives) me the strength to make waves that can make a difference.

I’m so proud of the DEI approach our Whole Kids and Whole Cities team developed and continues to evolve.

Each of the people on my teams has known that my first commitment was to their personal journey.? Which sometimes took them away from our work together.? Because when the “what you can get paid for” part of purpose aligns it magnifies personal fulfillment.

Today I’m focusing on the power young people finding their purpose (and trusting it!) so the bulk of their life choices can be aligned or continually adapted to what’s at their core.

Another example is from my newly discovered love of hiking. It allows me to explore and reflect in the healing power of nature. And my path always includes amazing people. Mostly they inspire me. But occasionally I have something to share. Maybe it's a view point or a hidden path. Sometimes it's connections to people I know a world away! I had a deep and meaningful conversation with a woman I met taking in Landscape arch in Arches National Park. We were both hiking alone to feed our souls. She was from Toronto and worked in gardening. We both left feeling as though our journey had meaning.

What I’ve discovered in the last year…one of unbridled reflection and wandering…is that my purpose could have been at the forefront of all things.? Guiding how I managed my whole life.? I see that my goals could have been sharper and more aligned…and my impact even greater.

And the funny thing.? I’ve had life coaches for decades…and not once did I think to reveal that I knew my purpose and felt it “wasn’t good enough” to be the driving force of my life. I discounted the value of my purpose.

Today when someone asks what I do i often say that I connect people and opportunity. I’m able to do that because my purpose has allowed me to amass a magical network of people in every corner of the world. ?

What is it that You love to do, that you feel isn't "good enough"??

Call me.? Let’s talk it through. ?

I am certain for many people their purpose evolves and changes over time. That may be a result of how you surface it or the time in life when you begin to explore your purpose.

If you’re not sure…

Try on a purpose or two or three. See if it fells right.? Does it inform your decision making in a useful way?? Does it bring you joy?? Adjust and adapt until something really fits.? And change as you need to!

Talk to people you’re close to about their purpose.? You might help one another find or refine your purpose.

?And if you’re hiring…ask candidates if they have discovered their purpose!

The irony and reality is that this piece came to me while waiting in the B line for my Southwest Airlines flight to Denver.? A trip to go wandering - through my past to meet up with a high school friend, I’ll miss another dear friend who made me promise to write, have some time in nature and see a show at Red Rocks.? I’m polishing it up in Cheyenne WY in a secret garden that I’m sure I was meant to experience.

My hope is that sharing my experience will spark a thought, cause a bit of reflection or inspire you to trust your purpose.?