In my work, whether coaching individuals one-on-one, or speaking to live audiences, I have found that most human beings love to talk about the concept of uniqueness and purpose, at least in theory. Most people truly want to believe they were created on purpose for a purpose. That belief increases when they see evidence of other individuals living purposeful, meaningful lives. However, there seems to be a huge chasm, between the desire for purpose and the actual effort needed to discover it.
Finding the answers to the age-old questions, "Who am I?" and "What am I supposed to be doing?" seems daunting, ambiguous, and unattainable. Already overwhelmed by the numerous demands placed upon our time and our lives -- paying the bills, going to work, raising our kids, attending school, obeying the rules, and meeting everyone else's expectations -- we quit the journey before we ever begin. Each of us offers an array of excuses that we believe are unique to us for why we have no time to contemplate our purpose. But I believe the real truth is that most of us just don't believe we have a purpose. We're scared that we just might discover that there really isn't more to this life, or even more frightening, more to us.
So we return to our routines, responsibilities, and lives filled with trivial things and mediocrity. It isn't so much a conscious choice as it is our defaulted reaction to the ambiguous discovery process. There just isn't much in the way of intentional resources pointing us in the direction of our destiny. NIKE, Inc., the international sportswear company, lends a bit of help by encouraging us to "Just Do It!" They make it sound so simple. But I, for one, needed much more in the way of direction when I began my own journey of purpose. I couldn't find much in the way of tangible resources to guide me, or any courses of this type taught in our high schools or colleges. The topic isn't one that is often given priority from the church's pulpit or in children's classrooms. I could find no one going into prisons, juvenile halls, or rehab centers declaring this message of purpose to the hopeless individuals confined there. Though many wonderful organizations exist to feed the poor around the world, I could not find many who devote their time and resources to proclaiming the life-changing message:
"You were created on purpose for a purpose."
Sadly, in my own life, I didn't know very many people who were living courageous, bold, purpose-filled lives. Still, I was determined to discover my own identity and destiny. I am thrilled to say that over time I have done just that, but I wasted a lot of time in the process because I just wasn't asking the right questions or consulting the correct sources.
I don't want you to go through the same frustration I did. That's why I created what you might call a "uniqueness assessment" called Uniquely You, designed to serve as a tool to accelerate the process I blindly went through when I embarked on my own journey of purpose in the year 2000. This assessment is designed to give a comprehensive and cohesive framework to the process of discovering who you were created to be and what you are supposed to be doing.
Read this quote:
"Every man and woman is born into the world to do something unique
and something distinctive and if he or she does not do it, it will never
be done." -- Dr. Benjamin Mays
Let those words sink deep into who you are -- deep into the place where logic cannot interrupt what the essence of you already knows. From there, contemplate your own uniqueness. Let yourself become pregnant with the possibility there really is something distinctive that you and only you were created to do at this time, in this place.
Then ponder this fact: If YOU don't dream it, create it, write it, tell it, sing it, or build it, "it" won't ever be done. Turn down the volume on the negative voices attempting to tell you another story. Dare to believe that you have a water-walking, giant-slaying, history-making destiny that will change you and change the world. I challenge you to intentionally choose now as the right time to begin your journey of purpose.
Thank you for reading and participating with me on this journey of purpose. I'd love to hear from you! Email me at j.williamson@courageworldwide.org and share with me your own stories about discovering your purpose.
Blessings,
Jenny Williamson