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4 Things You Can Do to Help You Find a Purpose in Life

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Sometimes you may wake up feeling that your life is somewhat unfulfilled. This is completely normal, and there could be a number of reasons for feeling like you’ve lost your way a little. There are plenty of small changes you can make that will make you feel complete, valued, and as though you have a purpose.

Here are 4 things you can do to find your purpose in life:

1. Follow Your Heart Not Your Head

You may feel unfulfilled or unhappy if you are currently stuck doing a job that your heart just isn’t in. It’s likely that you spend a lot of time at work, so dragging yourself out of bed to do something that you don’t enjoy every day can feel like a real chore.

Your heart is your strongest indicator of your true purpose and passion. So ask yourself what it is that you’re really interested in and love doing. Landing a job in something that you’re passionate about and that excites you will mean you are naturally more joyful and motivated to perform to your full potential. If you’re unsure exactly what your calling is, a great place to start is to ask people close to you for their opinion.

It can be difficult and overwhelming to pinpoint our skills and qualities when we look at ourselves, but others can easily pick up on things that they notice. Be careful not to go in a specific direction purely down to what others think of you, but take note of what your friends and family believe that you’re good at, and use that as a starting point.

“The seat of knowledge is in the head, of wisdom, in the heart.” – William Hazlitt

2. Make Memories Over Money

Many people live to work, when really we should all work to live. So it’s important that we don’t forget to do the living! Set time aside so that you’re able to do things for yourself, rather than focusing all of your efforts on your job. Get up early on your days off, so you can get out there and do you.

Ask yourself, what are the things that you really need to experience or accomplish before you die? Is there anything that you would hugely regret not doing before you die? If these questions do provoke answers, then gather them all together into a ‘bucket list’ or a to-do list, and make sure you do them! It may be that you want to travel a part of the world you’ve always dreamt of going, see your favourite artist in concert, climb a mountain, or run a marathon.

You may want to pick up a new hobby or learn a new skill, go scuba diving or skiing, or face your fears by going bungee jumping, cliff jumping, rock climbing or skydiving. You might want to go stargazing high up in the mountains, see the northern lights, trek through the amazon rain forest, or raft the Grand Canyon. The point is, if you don’t do all of these things while you can, then sooner or later it will be too late.

3. Build Relationships Over Possessions

You could have the latest smartphone, the flashiest car, the biggest mansion, and 10 holiday homes in the most exotic destinations, but unless you have family and friends to share them with, you will still end up being lonely and unhappy. You will live a far happier life if you invest time into building and maintaining relationships with your loved ones.

Stop watching so much TV, or allowing yourself to become consumed by social media, and focus on the real people in front of you. Always make time for those you care about, put your family first and forgive and forget. Although quality is sometimes better than quantity when it comes to friendship, you should make a substantial effort to nurture the relationships you currently have and always make rooms for new ones.

“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.” – Carl Jung

Many people believe that their purpose in life is to raise a family, and this could be something you want to do in order to fulfil your life. It could be that this doesn’t feel like an option for you, for example if you haven’t found the right life partner to have a family with yet, or it could be for medical reasons.

Instead of giving up if this is your dream, there are other options such as IVF treatment or you may choose to foster a child. Of course it could be that you simply don’t want children at all, in which case you will have a different life experience.

4. Don’t Forget to Give Back

Although it’s important to take from life what you can in order to try and fulfil it, it’s essential that you remember to give back too. Investing in yourself and your future to ensure all areas of your life are successful is key, but one of the best ways to seek happiness is actually through your service to others.

Perform kind deeds without expecting anything in return, and the rest will follow. You could think about letting others know how much they mean to you, by sending a letter or a text to one of your friends or family members. You could donate unwanted clothes or food to a homeless shelter, or buy a homeless person in the street a warm cup of tea or a meal.

You might want to volunteer at a charity, whether it’s walking the dogs at your local shelter, mentoring vulnerable children or reading to older people in care homes. You could also look at ways to fundraise for your favourite charity, be it a cake sale, a jumble sale, a sponsored walk or bag packing at your local supermarket.

Once you start to give back, you’ll feel a sense of achievement, knowing that you have helped others and made a difference which will make you feel valued and give you a purpose.

How have you been able to find your purpose? Please leave your thoughts below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com

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Life

Harness the ‘Battery Effect’ to Transform Life’s Tensions into Your Greatest Strength

Recharge your life batteries by shifting your mindset today

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Battery effect in life
Image Credit: Midjourney

I believe our life capacity is determined by the skillsets we develop on this spinning rock we call Earth. By “life capacity,” I mean our ability to embrace and sustain joy. (more…)

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Life

Doing This for 30 Minutes a Day Can Unlock Your Full Potential

Taking just 30 minutes a day to learn something new improved my life

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30 minutes of daily learning
Image Credit: Midjourney

Between the demands of work, life, and the never-ending cycle of bills, we often put our development, learning, and self-improvement at the bottom of our daily to-do lists. (more…)

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Life

How Learning the Skill of Hope Can Change Everything

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life

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Hope as a skill
Image Credit: Midjourney

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life.

Wishful thinking, on the other hand, is like having dreams in the sky without a ladder to climb, having a destination without a map, or trying to operate a jet-engine airplane without instructions. It sounds nice but is impossible to realize. You don’t have what you need to make it happen!

What Real Hope Is

Real hope is actionable, practical, and realistic. Better yet, it’s feasible and can be learned.

One popular approach is Hope Theory. This concept is used by colleges to study how hope impacts students’ academic performance. Researchers found that students with high levels of hope achieve better grades and are more likely to graduate compared to those with less hope.

Hope can be broken down into two components:

  1. Pathways – The “how to” of hope. This is where people think of and establish plans for achieving their goals.
  2. Agency – The “I can” of hope. This is the belief that the person can accomplish their goals.

Does Hope Really Work?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, hope as a noun is defined as: “desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.”

As humans, we are wired to crave fulfillment. We have the ability to envision it and, through hope, make it a reality.

My Experience with Hope

For 13 years, I was a hopeless human. During my time working at a luxury hotel as a front desk agent earning $11.42 per hour, I felt the sting of hopelessness the most.

The regret of feeling my time was being stolen from me lingered every time I clocked in. Eventually, I decided to do something about it.

I gave myself permission to hope for something better. I began establishing pathways to success and regained agency by learning from self-help books and seeking mentorship.

Because I took action toward something I desired, I now feel more hope and joy than I ever felt hopelessness. Hope changed me.

Hope Actually Improves Your Life

Wishful thinking doesn’t work, and false hope is equally ineffective. Real hope, however, is directly tied to success in all areas of life.

Studies show that hopeful people tend to:

  • Demonstrate better problem-solving skills
  • Cultivate healthier relationships
  • Maintain stronger motivation to achieve goals
  • Exhibit better work ethic
  • Have a positive outlook on life

These benefits can impact work life, family life, habit-building, mental health, physical health, and spiritual practice. Imagine how much better your life could be by applying real hope to all these areas.

How to Develop the Skill to Hope

As acclaimed French writer Jean Giono wrote in The Man Who Planted Trees:
“There are also times in life when a person has to rush off in pursuit of hopefulness.”

If you are at one of those times, here are ways to develop the skill to hope:

1. Dream Again

To cultivate hope, you need to believe in its possibility. Start by:

  • Reflecting on what you’re passionate about, your values, and what you want to achieve.
  • Writing your dreams down, sharing them with someone encouraging, or saying them out loud.
  • Creating a vision board to make your dreams feel more tangible.

Dreams are the foundation of hope—they give you something meaningful to aspire toward.

2. Create an Environment of Hope

  • Set Goals: Write down your goals and create a plan to achieve them.
  • Visualize Success: Use inspirational quotes, photos, or tools like dumbbells or canvases to remind yourself of your goals.
  • Build a Resource Library: Collect books, eBooks, or audiobooks about hope and success to inspire you.

An environment that fosters hope will keep you motivated, resilient, and focused.

3. Face the Challenges

Don’t avoid challenges—overcoming them builds confidence. Participating in challenging activities, like strategic games, can enhance your problem-solving skills and reinforce hope.

4. Commit to Wisdom

Seek wisdom from those who have achieved what you aspire to. Whether through books, blogs, or social media platforms, learn from their journeys. Wisdom provides the foundation for real, actionable hope.

5. Take Note of Small Wins

Reflecting on past victories can fuel your hope for the future. Ask yourself:

  • What challenges have I already overcome?
  • How did I feel when I succeeded?

By remembering those feelings of happiness, relief, or satisfaction, your brain will naturally adopt a more hopeful mindset.

Conclusion

Hope is more than wishful thinking—it’s a powerful skill that can transform your life. By dreaming again, creating a hopeful environment, facing challenges, seeking wisdom, and celebrating small wins, you can develop the real hope necessary for success in all aspects of life.

Let hope guide you toward a brighter, more fulfilling future.

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Life

The 5 Stages of a Quarter-Life Crisis & What You Can Do

A quarter-life crisis isn’t a sign you’ve lost your way; it’s a sign you’re fighting for a life that’s truly yours.

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what is a quarter life crisis
Image Credit: Midjourney

The quarter-life crisis is a well-defined set of stages—Trapped, Checking Out, Separation, Exploration, Rebuilding—one goes through in breaking free from feelings of meaninglessness, lack of fulfillment, and misalignment with purpose. I detail the stages and interweave my story below. (more…)

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