Today’s Brilliance from Chris Cade

My purpose is to use insight, compassion, and the rapid embodiment of wisdom to enable millions of people to experience inner peace, joy, and abundance.

What’s yours?

If you can’t answer in a single sentence, now is the time to get clear about exactly why you’re on this planet. Frequently we go through life unsure, or even worse, unaware of our purpose. Yes, we have hunches. Rarely though, do we clarify our purpose so that it can be communicated in a single statement.

This is what I encourage you to do.

Clearly defining your purpose makes all the difference. You can call upon it anytime to help you navigate life’s terrain. When you feel lost, it guides you through those challenges. When you feel joyful, it reinforces your abundant life. At work, with friends and family, or conversing with a stranger, there is no greater fulfillment than being guided on purpose. It keeps you focused on what is most important.

Here are four steps to clarify yours:

(1) Inventory your best qualities.

Knowing your purpose begins with knowing yourself. Nobody has the exact same qualities and experiences as you. Get clear on your gifts and you’ll be closer to knowing your purpose.

What qualities do you love most about yourself? What traits do people admire most about you?

Write them down. Then rate each on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most influential or prominent in your life. Select the 3 highest rated.

(2) Identify who you want to serve.

Your purpose is to make a difference. Since that’s not specific enough to guide your actions, you’ll need to go deeper to know specifically who would benefit most from your unique passions, interests, and talents.

Will you impact the homeless? The computer illiterate? Everyone you meet?

Write them down. Rate them. Identify the single most important one to you.

(3) Specify how you will impact them.

You need a clear intention about the impact you’ll have on others. This part of your purpose statement also guides your actions.

What experiences do you want others to have? How would they feel? What might they learn? Who might they become?

Write them down. Rate them. Narrow down to your top 3.

(4) Bring it together.

This is the easy part. Using my statement as an example, list your unique qualities, who you want to serve, and how you want to impact them. Whallah! You’ve got your entire life’s purpose summed up into a single sentence.

The wonderful gift of clarifying your purpose is that every moment of every day, one simple question will help you center yourself:

Am I positively impacting others in alignment with my purpose?

Like everything though, use it or lose it. Read your purpose statement at the beginning of every single day. It affirms the difference you’re hear to make, and it reminds you where to focus your attention. It also starts your day off on the most positive note ever… appreciating your unique qualities, talents, and passions!