Finding Your Purpose in Seasons High and Low
IN EVERY SEASON
At the moment, there so many feelings and experiences for all people day by day - incredibly high highs and deep lows. It is almost impossible to make sense of and process all that we are living through each day. I know I have personally found myself averaging ten good days and then a meltdown. At least it’s a regular pattern?! I find myself consistently stumped when thinking about why I keep struggling. It has been frustrating and discouraging a lot of the time – I have thought to myself, ‘Why aren’t you learning from these extremely hard days?!’ In talking to trusted people, I can see now, that I need to be much kinder to myself. We all need to be MUCH kinder to ourselves. Finding your purpose is something I believe to be really important as we journey through our stories and lives. As I keep growing and learning, I am realising that PURPOSE is the fuel that should drive us always in the high highs of life and it can light the fire in our hearts so well. In the lowest of the lows when we collapse in a heap; we also need purpose in order to put our feet one foot in front of the other and to keep going. We were MADE FOR MORE… SO MUCH MORE. I want to encourage you and to inspire you to find PURPOSE in every season, beautiful and challenging! There are practical things that we can do on the journey to clarified purposes, but also, please always remember – BE KIND TO YOU!
When do you feel most alive? Is it as you walk by the ocean breathing in the salty sea air? Or when you hold your loved ones tight? Is it good food or art that inspires your heart? Or love? Whatever it is, do MORE of that! Take the time to do the things that bring you joy and in those moments when your heart is swelling and also at rest, ask yourself, what makes me PASSIONATE? What do I want to spend my time doing? Get out that pretty pen and journal and write it all out. Then comes the FUN part – the purpose journey takes us to the point when we get the exciting privilege to figure out how we can reach our God given purposes. Create those bite sized monthly and yearly goals that can lead you to all you have dreamed and then work to achieve them. And then the beautiful thing is.. when we lose our way, we have ideas, hopes, goals and dreams to come back to when we are ready, to remind us where we are going.
Some questions to help you PURPOSE FIND…
1. What makes me want to get out of bed in the morning?
2. What sets my heart alight?
3. What are the things that I can’t stop talking about?
4. Where do I see myself in 10/20/30 years?
5. What does my heart yearn for, even something I don’t dare to speak out loud?
6. What do my loved ones say I am good at?
In the bible, God speaks about our purposes and how he will help us achieve them as we choose to partner with him.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
So go forth in to your days and live boldly. Go to that class in a new skill that you have always wanted to go to. Spend time with your family and friends and let your heart be filled.
Sing, cry and laugh.
In a time where we have all been challenged in different ways and I have pivoted slightly in my dream, my goals have remained the same – but the story looks a little different. I am now realising that that is completely ok! It is more than fine to make choices for your heart that might look slightly different to your dream story. I took a risk to be in the same place as the love of my life. I have been taking time to teach, but to also work on my own dreams and skills. I have started coming to terms with the darkest parts of myself. I have tried and failed and then also succeeded at finding roots and ‘home’ in different parts of Asia, as well as Australia. I sat with loneliness, I have taken risks, I have felt desperation and God has kept being there even when He felt so far away from me. I have met beautiful people that are praying the brokenness out of my heart. I am wading through deep feelings of LOSS! My yearning to control outcomes is my Achilles heel, so my journey to finding and walking in my purpose is a constant ‘letting go’ story in a beautiful and challenging way. And yours will be your own STORY, please pursue it! THE WORLD NEEDS YOU!! We CAN DO THIS - a message to myself as well as to you!
Keep DREAMING & LIVING FULL xxx