A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write. What a man can be, he must be.
Abraham Maslow.
What can you be?
Who will you be?
Who will you unfold in Your Next Chapter?
I know you’ve felt the tug at the corner of your imagination. The yearning that pulls at your heart. That voice that tells you there is more waiting for you.
Perhaps it’s already spoken to you clearly and you know who you are becoming now as you move into this next stage of life.
If you have that clarity, savour it. Allow the sweet scent of certainty to swirl around you in a cloud of joy as you move forward. Share it with love, as your certainty will act as a beacon of inspiration for those who are less sure.
If you are yet to be pulled forward by a full-bodied vision, if it is only revealed to you in snippets and fragments of possibility and potential, that’s ok as well.
Share your uncertainty with love and openness and it will act as a catalyst for connection, reassurance and conversations with others who also feel unsure.
And if you feel your vision is just too big and audacious, share it with pride!
The very act of talking about your vision, dreams and goals can solidify them as you take them from your imagination into reality. You will also find that as you share and connect with another, they may be able to support you and make an unexpected contribution. I have both witnessed and experienced this flow of synchronicity ….. “I think I know someone who can help you with that….”
Is there a central core of Purpose?
I believe that we are born with our purpose imprinted in our core. There is a place of joy, deep fulfilment and flow inside of each and every one of us when we are in service of that purpose.
Some people connect to that core early in life.
But for most of us, it can take time.
I believe that as we move through our life, we begin to pull the threads together. As our self-awareness grows, as our capacity for self-compassion expands, as we have more opportunity for contemplation, as we consider twists and turns of our journeys, we begin to see the commonalities, the breadcrumb trails, the diamonds in our dirt.
The mosaic of our life begins to emerge.
We find a central theme or themes.
We begin to realise that although our Purpose, our simple, shining purpose has remained constant throughout our life, the ways in which we have expressed that purpose have been wide and varied.
And now we are ready for the next deeper, richer, more resonant expression of that purpose because we are present to it. We have conscious awareness of it.
Ah, it’s that moment that is the most magical.
That feeling of things falling into place.
That moment when you take a breath and realise ahhhhh, so that’s it!
An emotional blend of wonder and bemusement and relief and anticipation arrives. There is a deep sense of rightness in your heart. A settling in your belly, an anchoring of your soul.
Recognition. It’s always been there. The key to the lock has presented itself and the door to Your Second Act swings open.
Inspiration is the birthplace of purpose
“Inspire” comes from the words in spirit. When you are inspired you are living your purpose.
What stirs your soul? What races through your veins, invigorates you, opens your emotions and lightens your spirit so much that you are sure you could fly?
Catch that feeling, note that feeling, get curious about the feeling – where are you, what are you doing, what are you saying, who are you with? These are breadcrumbs, spiritual signposts, shining drops of certainty that you need to collect and ponder. They are the threads that will connect you to your purpose. And they are very, very personal to you.
Another person is likely to be completely unaware of what transpires for you in a moment. Your purpose is delivered to you, not them. Their purpose is in different packaging. That’s the perfect balanced diversity of our Universe.
I was talking with a lovely friend just last week and she was reflecting on some questions I had posed. She realised that throughout her life, she had always been described by others as being calm. In her Second Act this quality, her purpose, is reflected beautifully and seamlessly in her work as a herbalist and naturopath where she creates an atmosphere of serenity, reassurance and support for her clients. She is very much aligned with her purpose.
Your purpose is most often found in service
When you are inspired and on purpose, you will most likely find that you are in service of others in some way.
Yes, you may paint because you have the talent and skill and you delight in this expression. But your paintings will bring joy to others.
Yes, you may write because the words pour from your heart and must be committed to paper and released into the world in some way. But those words will reach, help and inspire others.
Yes, you may create a program about Social Media because it’s what fascinates and delights you. But that program will educate and assist others, will facilitate the purpose of others.
In my experience when you “get off self” and focus on others, that’s where you are likely to suddenly find yourself in flow. Fulfilled. Purposeful. So light that you could fly….
Courage is still needed
Even when you have found your next pathway to purpose, the one that feels like the most direct route, the one that you can confidently tread because with the benefit of kindsight and experience you now know where the potholes, cul-de-sacs and dead ends are, courage and openness are still needed for the journey.
Because you are here to evolve, learn and grow.
But the great news?
When you face an obstacle on Your Next Chapter Purpose Path, whether that be a new skill you need to develop to close a gap or a blip in your self-belief monitor, you are now being pulled forward by your vision, not pushed by motivation. When passion, purpose and certainty are your fuels, obstacles tumble.
So keep your eye on your horizon.
And the final piece for uncovering purpose? (for now)
Connection with kindred spirits. You don’t need to travel this pathway alone. Step forward and become a part of a community where the members are also looking to the horizon. Take comfort, encouragement and strength. Offer the same in return. The rewards are tremendous, uplifting and powerful.
I know my purpose today.
My purpose is to be a joyful, authentic, inspiring leader and self-worth educator, a catalyst for new possibilities.
To inspire you to see your own worthiness and value so you can develop the courage and self-belief to share your own story and in doing so, shorten the journey for another.
To teach you how to align your purpose fully with the core of your business so you can confidently and authentically be seen.
To give you permission to shine and to be abundantly rewarded for your gifts.
You can borrow my belief in you until you develop your own.
Take your first step into uncovering your purpose
To uncover Your Next Chapter Purpose, I encourage you to enrol my free program that I encourage all women standing on the edge of their own next chapter to complete. It’s called Your Journey Board and it’s an illuminating self-study program that helps you understand who you are, how you arrived here and where you’re headed next.
It is my privilege and pleasure to help you make peace with your past, connect with your present and joyfully create and embrace your future – Your Next Chapter.
You can pop over and read more about Your Journey Board now – when you enrol you will also be invited to join Your Next Chapter Community, a private and supportive Facebook Group where you’ll be surrounded by kindred spirits on the same journey into purpose and fulfilment. I know you’ll fit right in.
BTW This is the third post in Your Journey Board Series, you can read Post One (Harvesting your past for confidence and clarity) and Post Two (Pause and give yourself the gift of presence) as well.
