EXERCISE TO HELP YOU DEFINE YOUR HIGHER PURPOSE:
Step 1:
Make a list of your natural gifts, talents as well as those activities that, when you’re engaged in doing them, time just flies by - i.e. when you are in a state of flow. Include activities that give you a sense of satisfaction even if they may not be part of your work world.
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Step 2:
Think about your significant life experiences and events you’ve lived through that have shaped who you are today. These may have been the unique family life you’ve had, the education journey, both formal and informal, the mentors who have touched your life, the personal challenges in your life etc. Think of it as a script in your life’s movie and you’re rewatching those scenes that stand out.
a) Significant People and Experiences that shaped you:
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b) Significant challenges that life has thrown your way that have made you stronger:
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Step 3:
What are the challenges in the world that you feel drawn to addressing? Trust your gut and do not rely on the media to create your list. Remember that there is a big difference between doing things because you ‘should’ help make things better to redress the many wrongs in the world. This is about following your passions about wanting to make things better. You can tell you’re on the right path if you can imagine yourself being energized and fulfilled, not drained and exhausted. The focus is on serving and ennobling others.
Record those injustices to groups of people whether that’s in your neighbourhood, country or the world; it could be that you are drawn to social inequality, environmental issues or imbalances at work or in the school system etc. that speak to you.
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Step 4:
With a trusted friend, spouse, or colleague at work, review what you’ve recorded and ask each other clarifying questions to ensure you understand each other’s gifts and issues that you each feel need to be addressed.
Help each other craft the following sentence:
e.g. I feel drawn to ________________ (action verb, like ‘serve’, ‘lead’, ‘support’, ‘teach’ etc) to address the following need / gap / challenge in my family, community or the world ...
__________________________________________________________ by tapping into my gifts and talents of
__________________________________________________________
Step 1:
Make a list of your natural gifts, talents as well as those activities that, when you’re engaged in doing them, time just flies by - i.e. when you are in a state of flow. Include activities that give you a sense of satisfaction even if they may not be part of your work world.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Step 2:
Think about your significant life experiences and events you’ve lived through that have shaped who you are today. These may have been the unique family life you’ve had, the education journey, both formal and informal, the mentors who have touched your life, the personal challenges in your life etc. Think of it as a script in your life’s movie and you’re rewatching those scenes that stand out.
a) Significant People and Experiences that shaped you:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
b) Significant challenges that life has thrown your way that have made you stronger:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Step 3:
What are the challenges in the world that you feel drawn to addressing? Trust your gut and do not rely on the media to create your list. Remember that there is a big difference between doing things because you ‘should’ help make things better to redress the many wrongs in the world. This is about following your passions about wanting to make things better. You can tell you’re on the right path if you can imagine yourself being energized and fulfilled, not drained and exhausted. The focus is on serving and ennobling others.
Record those injustices to groups of people whether that’s in your neighbourhood, country or the world; it could be that you are drawn to social inequality, environmental issues or imbalances at work or in the school system etc. that speak to you.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Step 4:
With a trusted friend, spouse, or colleague at work, review what you’ve recorded and ask each other clarifying questions to ensure you understand each other’s gifts and issues that you each feel need to be addressed.
Help each other craft the following sentence:
e.g. I feel drawn to ________________ (action verb, like ‘serve’, ‘lead’, ‘support’, ‘teach’ etc) to address the following need / gap / challenge in my family, community or the world ...
__________________________________________________________ by tapping into my gifts and talents of
__________________________________________________________