Your Purpose & Being Great

I run a small business and have done so for over 17 years for my 'why'. My why is about being a mom and helping others, both of those are my purpose. You probably know what your purpose is and you want to be able to do that better and do it with more peace, abundance, and grace. This isn't a normal topic of mine, but I passed by a bus stop bench with an ad for Magic Johnson's new book is about being great. The book topic made me think about the people who listen and read what I have to say and how I try and encourage you to fulfill your purpose and why that's necessary.

How to be Great in Fulfilling Your Purpose.

Doing your business is your purpose, so don't believe that you're a taker or that it's wrong for you to do your business. You wouldn't have started your business if it didn't contribute to the world, so even in moments when you doubt yourself or you're told what you're doing is hobby, like I was told many times, you know it's not something you wouldn't have started if it didn't touch you and had the ability to touch others. There are thousands of small business consultants, I am just one of many, but what I know I'm the only one who can do what I do the way I do it.

Your purpose is anchored in something that's almost invisible, like a fish to water. A fish has no idea it exists in water until it loses that water and you have no idea who you are to yourself, client, or community until you lose it. So before it gets to the point of losing it, let's talk about being great. Most people don't know their purpose or that it's their next breath. There's a young woman who attends my real estate meetings and she lives with fibromyalgia and sometimes she's full of energy and other times she's exhausted. Through that young woman's hugs, smiles, and the light in her eyes, her purpose lives; what she does with the force that is her, is her purpose. Your vision may not be focused on purpose, but spirit does not hide it from you. Your focus may be on what you know, finance, accounting, or shooting a ball, like Magic Johnson. For me, finding my purpose was hard and I was lucky enough to go to personal growth workshops to find my purpose. It didn't involve any hard talent I could be great at and therefore it was not easily seen by me. You can journal, pray, ask spirit to reveal your purpose is, you can also observe your joy and find your purpose. You have the feedback inside of you, you just need to observe what feels blessed and brings you (and ultimately others) happiness.

I know I'm doing my purpose when, despite being tired, I stay up late and do it.

If grace won't answer you directly about what your purpose is, ask whether you've fulfilled your purpose today and listen for the answer of yes or no and how. If it makes your heart sing; if it's hard but you still find joy in it, if like me you do it late at night even when you're tired, you've found your purpose. When I know I've created freedom, abundance, and transformation for myself and others, I know I've fulfilled my purpose that day or week. When I get to help others, that brings me personal satisfaction and I love being able to use my skill set to be on purpose.

My teacher, Christine Shank came up with the idea that there's more than one body and I've noticed it myself. Have you stopped to notice your self-talk? Are you aware when you're spinning out of control? It's not your physical body that's spinning, just like it is when you're cold, tired, hungry, etc. I have two purposes, to be a mother to my daughter and to parent her, and I still have my consulting work. Some people call it the lizard brain, the instinct and frontal cortex and others call it grace and the God within us. 

What makes you great? 

What does it take to be great?  It takes years to find and develop it inside of you. I interviewed J. Massey once and he talked about people making decisions and how most people don't ever really decide. When J. and his wife found themselves homeless while she was pregnant he decided to either give up or move forward. There are all kinds of things that will talk about what it takes to be great but here are my three things:

1. Call a spade a spade- at least in your own mind. Don't lie to yourself about yourself or others.

2. Be kind- treat others as you'd like to be treated. Be discerning in your mind and with others, be kind.

3. Make the decision to double down- "Those who've mastered the art of falling have no fear of rising." -Mehmet Murat ildan

For me to give up meant me giving up on my purpose and I couldn't do it. I hope you find the same resolve within you and do the same.