Purpose or No Purpose ~ What’s the Big Deal anyway?
Hi there – my name is Kristin.
Most days you’ll find me taking on the role of mom, wife, referee, butt wiper, relationship counselor, therapist, Netflix binger, blogger, chef, nurse, etc. The list goes on.
Other days, I might be locked in the bathroom with my journal and a glass of wine pondering why the F&^% I’m even here. I don’t mean why I’m in this particular house with this crazy crew of kids that I sometimes claim as my own.
No, I mean literally, in the grand scheme of things, what is my purpose here on this earth?
You see, it’s entirely possible to reach the age of 40-ish and still not know what you want to be when you grow up. (I know…big shocker, right?)
Over the last several years, I’ve been on a journey of personal development because I really needed to get my head on straight. I felt like I was just going through the motions of life and not really getting anywhere. (Hamster in a wheel?)
My oldest daughter said that she learned about something called an existential crisis in one of her college classes.
Existe-wha?
By definition, it’s the moment in which an individual questions if their life has meaning, purpose and value. She also said that the majority of people go through this phase around college age.
I was around 35 at the time – whatever. So I’m a late bloomer.
Anywho….I kept running across this subject of true purpose and it threw me into a shit storm of thoughts, feelings and questions that I had never experienced before. And it kinda F&^%ed me up a little, to be honest.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the motions of life and not really question why things are the way they are. For the longest time, I thought working at a job I hated, longing for the weekends and living paycheck to paycheck was just the way life was. What else is out there for me? I had no college degree. My list of skills were limited (at least that’s the mindset I had). I was a hardcore introvert and I was terrified to try anything else.
In other words, my entire life was limited to a few options due to some lame ass excuses that I conjured up in my mind to be complete truth.
Snore.
When I started questioning these things and wondering if there really was more out there (and more importantly, could I be a part of it), that’s when my mindset started to shift.
When this happens, you legit can’t go back to the way things were before. I’m not saying you can’t go back to work or sit through 8 hours of monotonous bullshit at your day job (don’t quit just yet). I’m just saying your mind will not go back to the “this is just the way life is” mentality.
When your mindset shifts, it makes you question more and begin searching out a different way of life. That’s what I did. I started listening to podcasts, reading books, joining forums – I searched out and found people who weren’t living the traditional way of life. (Do. this. It will inspire the shit out of you, no doubt) They didn’t have the 9-5 job and yet they were still making an income and having an impact on others and the world around them. They were living the life they wanted. They were choosing their own path. They had purpose. It was entirely possible. Mind = Blown.
So this purpose thing – it’s kind of important.
No matter how old you are, no matter how long you’ve trudged along in a job you hate, no matter your circumstance – you have to do this for you. We have ONE freaking life, after all.
It’s not too late. It’s NEVER too late.
I’d much rather be a work in progress who is continually growing and searching and questioning then someone who is fixed on the mentality that life is limited by age, circumstance, location or some other stupid excuse. Those are the people who choose to simply exist and go through the motions as the years fly by.
No thank you.
We don’t have to have it all figured out, but we do need to feel connected to something bigger than ourselves, something that goes way beyond making a minimum wage paycheck at a job that’s mediocre at best.
Without a purpose we’re just drifting through the days, the weeks, the months in a monotonous daze. Oh so monotonous.
Without purpose we lose all drive and ambition to do more and be more. We succumb to a life where we merely exist and go through the motions on a day to day basis. Just why?
Without purpose, we feel lost.
Let’s face it: Everyone is striving to live a happier life right? Knowing what you’re really meant to be doing or at least working towards it is bound to increase the overall feeling of happiness and fulfillment.
Doesn’t it make a little sense to jump onboard and start trying to discover what that purpose is?
I vote yes 🙂
Benefits of living with purpose:
SEEING that we are having an impact, that we are touching someone else’s life ~ wouldn’t that just make you feel all mushy, gushy inside? Think about the last time you helped someone, no strings attached, just out of the goodness of your heart because you knew it would truly HELP them. It doesn’t have to be world changing. It can be something as simple as carrying in groceries for an elderly neighbor or helping a friend through a difficult time.
How did that make you feel deep down inside? Pretty awesome yes?
That’s why it’s important to live a live of true purpose – You have that badass feeling over and over again on a daily basis. You can look back and see that you’ve made a difference in the lives of those around you. And you’re making a huge big difference in your own life as well – that’s a win-win in my opinion 🙂
Purpose gives our daily lives structure. Instead of questioning and worrying about figuring everything out or being terrified that we’re wasting this ONE precious life we have, its easier to see our goals out in front of us and KNOW without a doubt what we are working towards.
That sense of inner peace is freaking priceless.
With that being said, doesn’t it make you just a little curious? If you haven’t questioned anything up til this point, that’s okay. But just think for a minute if you could live a life where you were excited to get out of bed every day instead of dreading what is to come. A life where you had goals and dreams and something you were working towards – something more than just barely scratching and clawing your way through the week until you hit 5’oclock on Friday.
Realizing that we are here for so much more than a life where we just exist and go through the motions – it’s a beautiful thing and once you’ve hit that point, there is no going back.
Doesn’t that make it worth a try?
If you’re on a journey (just like me) to find your purpose, I would LOVE to connect and hear your story – whether you’re just simply tired of going through the motions and don’t know where to start or you’ve discovered your purpose and are making an impact – share your story with me! (HINT: Future Podcast in the works ~ Ima need some badass, amazeballs women to interview 😁)
Comment below or email me 🙂
Stayed tuned for the next blog post ~ Questions You Can Ask Yourself to Make Finding Your Purpose a Little Easier.
I love connecting with other work in progress mama’s like myself who are holding it all together with a bobby pin but still want to make an impact on the world around them – To get a dose of the crazy chaos that is my life, you can sign up for my weekly newsletter – let’s see how much we have in common 🙂
You can also connect with me on social media at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest
Until next time,
Hugs and Good Vibes sent your way
~ Kristin ✨
I try to think of purpose as a living, growing, evolving thing – like a plant that I need to water every now and then so it doesn’t die. That’s a bad example, I’m horrible with plants….. like a toddler I need to check on every five seconds so they don’t shove peanuts up their nose or eat random stuff off the ground. My purpose and drive 20 years ago definitely came from a different place than it does now that my kids are older and I don’t have to worry about them eating playground dirt anymore. I think it’s totally okay to change paths when we come to weird stages of life, or I hope so, because I’m way over here on this other path now. I might be getting lost, but the scenery is pretty.
I totally agree! 🙂 We have so many different stages that we pass through over the years and that really calls for us to grow and evolve according to our situation and current place in life. The last 4 1/2 years for me have been centered around my boys and making sure they have what they need as well as trying to move past the “toddlerhood to a more self-sufficient child stage” haha! I’m beginning to look at bigger goals for myself and my business at this point where I can start aiming some of my time and energy in that direction now that they are older. I have to laugh at your plant analogy because I am SO much the same way. No green thumb here LOL! Purpose is constantly growing and changing as we grow 🙂 Thank you for your comment Loretta!