How To Find Your Life's Purpose

Your life’s purpose is inherently tied to your unique gifts and talents that can bring the greatest amount of benefit to the world.

And just like the eloquent poem “O Me! O Life!” by Walt Whitman espouses you are entitled to contribute your very own verse to the play of life.

Buddhists call this your dharma which is your ‘right way of living’, and many people in the modern era would call it your life’s ‘journey’.

This is the pathway of discovering true meaning and your true self. Ultimately you will decide what you feel driven to contribute to the global community.

Search within yourself and this will lead you to your passion and purpose, which you will find to be one and the same.

Use The Ikigai Method To Find Your “Reason For Being”

Ikigai is a diagram originating in Japan for self-development designed to help you find the most satisfaction, happiness and meaning in life.

Your life’s purpose is found at the intersection of where your passions and talents come together with the things that the world needs and is willing to pay for.

To discover you Ikigai, you must first understand what you’re most passionate about. Then you must find the medium through which you can express that passion.

Create A Life Purpose Statement

Write a description of what your life would look like if it were operating perfectly as you would desire it to be.

In a perfect scenario, you are living your highest vision where you are doing, being, and having everything you need to be fulfilled. Now create one statement or mantra that describes your best case life scenario.

An example would be, “Inspiring and empowering myself and others to live their highest vision in a context of love and joy.”

How Is Life Purpose Linked To Being A Global Citizen?

Our Mother Earth is the only home we have so it is imperative that we take immaculate care of her.

Global paradigms are shifting, driven by the forces of human evolution and new technologies. The world appears to be destabilizing in many ways.

Outdated systems are not be able to sustain the requirements of a global population that is ever-growing and evolving.

The world needs solutions in many areas such as health care, food production, energy usage, transportation, sustainability and housing.

This is exactly where the needs of humanity can be met through each individual finding their purpose.

This is where we can make our greatest contribution to bringing about the solutions necessary for humanity to survive and thrive.

We are living in chaotic times, but it is of our own making. However, as the 2nd law of thermodynamics states chaos is the necessary precursor to developing into a higher order.

Contributing To The Global Good

So what can you do as an individual navigating through this turbulent time?

Find your place in the process of bringing about this shift in paradigms.

Each individual’s effort will bring us fully into what many are calling a newly emerging Golden Era.

There is no other logical choice but to continue moving forward.

We as humans are evolving like any other species on the planet, adapting to create a better quality of life and build a better future.

This is the human engine, we are endowed with a spark to move forward.

Although the natural tendency is sometimes to hold onto the past, if we stay flexible and open-minded we will ride the wave into this exciting new era.

Many communities have already made large strides towards this new paradigm.

This can be seen in renewable energy technologies that are reducing carbon footprints, plastic usage awareness and sustainable farm operations.

New thought leadership is also on the rise as seen in disruptive business technologies, artificial intelligence and changes in institutions of higher learning.

Ways To Get Involved

Being a conscientious citizen of Earth involves helping other people, your community, animals and the environment.

It is a scientifically proven fact that giving yourself to a cause greater than yourself improves your own well-being. (source)

As noted, the world is changing at a remarkable pace and by getting involved in the process you ensure that your future is as bright as possible.

Here are 3 distinguished organizations that can help you get involved and contribute your verse to the magical play of life:

1. American Planning Association

According to their website the American Planning Association “provides leadership in the development of living communities.”

This is a not for profit organization that was first established in 1978.

You can become a member, look for jobs, donate to their causes and stay up to date with the latest news in sustainable community planning around the United States.

2. National Resources Defense Council

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) “works to safeguard the earth – its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.”

It is a non-profit international environmental advocacy group based in New York City that continues to work to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.

3. Peace Corps

The United States Peace Corps is “a service opportunity for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.

“Founded over 50 years ago by president John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps has had an unprecedented impact not only on the communities they have served but also on the lives and careers of its volunteers.

In Conclusion: Embrace Change

There is no question we live in tumultuous times that is indicative of our shifting collective paradigm. We have massive global issues that need to be addressed. The up side is we have the technology and ingenuity to solve any and all current global problems. So that means each individual needs to find their place of greatest service that incorporates their unique gifts and talents. The macrocosm is always a direct reflection of the sum of each microcosm so it takes each individual’s effort for collective progress. Embrace the changing times and new technologies as they are the waves we ride into the newly emerging era.