(This is Part 3 of A Guided Series on Finding Your Life Purpose. If you haven’t read Part 1 or Part 2 yet, I highly suggest reading the previous articles first and then coming back to this post.)
Find a Mission That is Bigger Than Yourself
When individuals are trying to find their “life purpose”, they must ask themselves: “What mission or goal do I want to contribute to? What idea or vision of the future do I want to work towards?” 🤔
A great mission is one that is bigger than yourself. That means the mission is more important than how it affects your status in the world or how much money you make. The ego and external rewards end up being insignificant compared to the vision of the future.
You don’t have to build your own business or create your own mission statement. Instead, it’s more about finding that job or career that fulfills you. Once you answer the questions about the mission and vision you want to work towards, you can find others who have a similar purpose as yours. Does your mission align with another company’s, another team’s, or even another person’s?
In reality, the most effective way to contribute to a certain mission or purpose is to work with other people. 🔑 It's possible to do it all by yourself, but it’s definitely more difficult. Find a community trying to achieve the same goals you want to achieve. Find that group of like-minded people who have the same vision of the future as you.
I immediately think about Elon Musk and what he’s been working on for many years. The mission that is bigger than himself is to ensure the survival of the human race. He has a vision of the future where humans thrive in many different aspects. Companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and NeuralLink (to name a few) all work towards that mission and vision of the future.
I’m sure it’s safe to say that the people who work for Elon are also working towards the same goals Elon has. They know they’re led by someone who believes in what they believe in, and they’re motivated to solve any problems and overcome any obstacles to get there.
Choose What You Want To Struggle In
Let’s be real, no matter what we do, whether we’re doing something we enjoy or not, we’re going to struggle. That’s what growth is all about -- taking risks, failing, and learning from them. Most things are never as easy as we would like it to be. But we can choose which struggles we want to overcome for a goal we want to achieve. 💪
Choose what you want to do. Realize that you must endure a lot of struggles to accomplish your goals. Enjoy and appreciate the process to overcome the struggles. Building grit will help you get through the tough times and stay focused on the goal. You'll persevere.
Finding a Mission & Vision is Intentionally Living
I believe that it’s possible to have one mission for the rest of our lives. But I also know it’s not realistic to expect that from myself or anyone else. Life happens, new experiences and knowledge arise that may inspire you to work on another mission bigger than what you’re working on now.
Being intentional about what mission you want to contribute to and what vision you are working towards is exactly what intentional living is all about. 🥳 Take control of how you spend your time, energy, and mental capacity. Do something that you believe in while earning a living.
As usual, it will take time to start contributing towards that mission and vision. Patience is key, and as long as you’re taking small steps towards your goals, you’ll get there!
What mission are you willing to contribute to that is bigger than yourself?