From Passion to Purpose
New years open for us a floodgate of opportunities – to restart, refocus and recalibrate our lives. Reports have shown that the pandemic had resulted to “the great resignation” with many looking for an alternative way to live their lives according to what truly matters.
For this year, 2022, I will be starting “Sustain!” – my bootcamp training for sustainability leadership as part of Learn2Lead by SustainablePH. I would like to share snippets of Sustain! that may help you!
We are passionate about many things that perhaps, we are also skilled or talented in.
While pursuing our passions may be good, I find that my passions are fleeting. Passion is a strong feeling about something we are excited about. And these can change quickly – we know how unreliable our feelings can be.
Here are some tips on how to find your purpose, as it has helped me find mine.
1. Be Open
We have assumptions of what we like, who we are, what we can or cannot do. We were told these things since we were born – a cumulative result of everything we believe we are. Now, some may be true, but some may not be true. The first step is break free from all these assumptions we ‘ve made for ourselves and simply sit still – without judgement – be open to the possibilities. Our limitations start with our mind or belief systems which we have accepted that may or may not be helping us find our true selves.
2. Listen Actively
We are surrounded by noise – created around us and created by us. Many of us have become so accustomed to sound that we feel uncomfortable with silence. In my personal journey, what I found to be one of the best ways to seek direction in critical areas of my life, especially when it is about decisions that require wisdom and not simply knowledge, is to simply immerse myself in silence and listen actively to that still, small voice inside. As a believer in Christ, I adhered to HIS words – seek and your shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you. I learned that prayer or meditation is not about me talking but about me listening – to God and to our soul, which is constantly seeking its way home.
3. Accept Wholeheartedly
When the student is ready, the teacher shows up. You may have heard this many times before. I think the teacher is always there but it is when the student is ready that lessons are recognized and accepted wholeheartedly. Only then can the lesson do its purpose, which is to teach the student.
4. Understand Why
A high-school student once asked, what course he should take for college. Advice varies according to motivations – by potential earnings, hobbies, or what their parents expect of them. But I recently learned that there is another way we could go about this question.
Ask yourself what would you want to do to make this world slightly better. Then, you will begin to understand why you are who you are, why you are drawn to do certain things and why they matter not only to you but to those around you as well.
5. Articulate Your Purpose
The good book says that out of the abundance of our heart, the mouth speaks. Once everything is crystal in our hearts and minds, in is inevitable that we will articulate who we are, why we are and why we do the work we believe we are drawn to do. Articulating is not only by words but also by action. Our purpose is about the value we create – not only for ourselves but for the world around us. It is like leaving our imprint in this world – an imprint that is uniquely ours – which plays its role in the grander play called life.
About Post Author
Author
Koleen Davila-Palaganas
Vice President for Sustainability at SM Investments Corporation, Asia’s Sustainability Superwoman Awardee, GRI Global Stakeholder Council Member, Board Member of Child Hope Philippines. http://koleendavila.com
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