A Question to Reveal Your Purpose
People who find a deep sense of purpose in their lives are almost always able to look back at their previous experience and see that nothing was wasted. Experiences such as the work that had gone before (even if unpleasant), a tragedy, seemingly random events and turning points, even childhood delights and traumas, were all preparation to fulfill the purpose.
So, if you are puzzling about the purpose that will guide you, the key to the puzzle may lie in the question,
For what has my life been preparing me?
(Notice that most of the experiences in the abbreviated list above will not appear on your resume)
— Dick Richards
Monday, February 13th, 2006 at 3:40 pm ◊ Comment or trackback
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February 14th, 2006 at 2:28 am
Our purpose is somewhat perplexing to most of us, but I believe those who desire a real purpose are led to their true destinies after many episodes of trial and error. Then the transformation from fledglings to eagles occurs.
February 14th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
Is it really trial and error, do you think? Or is it all preparation?
February 14th, 2006 at 4:00 pm
Trial and error IS preparation.
February 14th, 2006 at 4:27 pm
Alexis — I like that! We are on the same page. I also like the way you said people are “led to” their purpose. Lots of people think it comes from within, and I find myself continually reminding them that it is a “calling” and so the signals come from someplace other than within.
February 15th, 2006 at 5:29 am
Dick,
It’s great to be on the same page in the book of life.
We can only go forward.
Take care now.
February 15th, 2006 at 1:41 pm
Hi, Dick. That´s an outstanding work of making meaning. What really amazes me is the fact that any person gets a different interpretation of the same facts. If I tell some of my friends about my past life and my present situation I´m sure they would interpret them in a completely different way as I do it now. The way facts become meaningful for one person and help to outline the future, that´s one important point for me.
February 15th, 2006 at 4:00 pm
Thanks for adding that element of “meaning-making” Felix. I see Viktor Frankl as the grandfather of our thinking about purpose. He found that a primary difference between those whose lives were devastated by internment in a WWII concentration camp, and those who were able to live productive lives after the experience, was the ability to make meaning of their tragedy that went beyond a sense of resigned victimization.
I think that you are 100% correct that, where our futures are concerned, what happens is often less significant than how we interpret what happens, and that it is our interpretation, not someone else’s, that matters.
February 17th, 2006 at 5:17 am
Dick, I lived in an area of the country for quite a while that had a large German population that had went through the war years and a number of them had been imprisoned for various reasons.
And even though we were told of some of the tragedies that happened daily, never did the sense of victimization come into the conversation or attitudes of the people.
It was one of the most profound periods of my life as I learned to interpret the troubles and problems I have went through in a way that empowers rather than diminishes me.
February 17th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
Thanks for that Gary. Very inspiring. And I like the way you put it, “a way that empowers rather than diminishes me.” I often wonder what the difference might be between people who are able to use traumatic experiences to empower rather than diminish themselves. You have provided one answer — “the conversation and attitudes” of the people around you.
February 17th, 2006 at 6:27 pm
Hi Dick,
I bought your book a few weeks ago and now I have finally got past finding a name for my genius. It is called “finding the 4 leaf clover”. Its my main talent, ever since I was a little kid I could spot a 4 leaf clover like nobody’s business. People used to tease me about it and still do: “can you put that on your resume?” yeah, right - Finds 4 leaf clovers… They never brought me any luck, except to find more. I began to treat it like an annoying messege from the universe, laced with irony. What was I supposed to DO with these things? For awhile I sent them to one of my sisters whose birthday is on St Patrick’s day, they didn’t seem to have much other purpose. Now I realize that the name is not the same as the purpose. The name is just a motif. When I was searching for the name for my genius I was going to call it “Finding The Golden Fleece”, or “Seeking The Talisman”, I can spend hours and hours, days and years hunting down little talismans, looking for the magic words, the perfect phrase, waiting for the magic moment to take a photograph, and generally taking delight in hunting down the perfect little magic thingy. The name is all about the driving force. Well since I have never actually ever found a real golden fleece I figured the name for my genius must be the 4 leaf clover. What a relief to have solved that puzzle and to know that the universe was not playing a joke on me. I can now go on to figuring out the purpose of this peculiar drive. It has got something to do with healing. My best work has had an ultimately healing, though not necessarily comforting, result with people. I’ll keep reading, thanks.
February 17th, 2006 at 10:09 pm
Theresa,
I have taken a few hours to get over being speechless about your comment. Still, though, I find that the comment speaks for itself, and I simply want to say thank you for generously sharing all of that. You reminded me about why I am doing what I am doing.
February 27th, 2006 at 2:00 pm
Dick,
I don’t know the answer, but I am having such a blast trying to find out! I am starting to find peace in the fact that I don’t know what my genius is, even though I can narrow it down to a neighborhood.
For me, the most fun I have in life is searching, looking, connecting, and finding new patterns in the things I learn - and I think that applies to my genius, as well.
Your book is one of those that just showed up for me when I needed it - and I am grateful.
Dwayne
February 27th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
When one notices the formative events in one’s life usually a pattern emerges, rather like iron fillings surrounding a magnet, and upon this recognition one is transformed from passive victim to active actor. The ‘activity’ might simply be the full acceptance of what has happened, freeing one to do what one came here to do. Again this might also be something externally simple.
In some religious traditions, the soul before incarnating in this body, chooses the circumstances and challenges it will face in this life, as learning experiences that can only be had on this planet.
February 28th, 2006 at 4:15 pm
Dwayne -
Glad you are having a blast! The genius is more elusive to name when it has to do with searching. Sometimes, when you are in the neighborhood, it just pops up seemingly out of nowhere. Thanks for the gratitude.
Avi -
“like iron fillings surrounding a magnet” - exactly how most people feel when they recognize their genius. The genius being the magnet, their past experiences being the filings. About the religious traditions, you might have a look at Chapter 4 in Is Your Genius at Work?, if you haven’t yet.
August 23rd, 2006 at 4:13 am
well dick, honestly speaking, my resume DOES include ‘those’ things. because, i see myself and my life direction shaped so much by those events.
in fact, to explain where i am (what i do), i HAVE to refer to those things - without which i cannot explain ‘why’ i am able to do it.
i mean, my ‘education’ has nothing to do with what i am doing. but, my life education - ‘university of hard knocks’ - is the shaper, and shape-shifter of my life.
my life, on the surface, is only filled with failures.
and asking ‘why i failed’ gives me 2 answers - either i was inept, or i was on the wrong path.
i tried to follow both the roads, one after the other: first, trying to ‘become more’; then, when that failed, i tried to go on the road to finding the right path (how does one do THAT?)
it is recently that i am finding (and having fallen upon your work has played a major role) that i was neither inept, nor on the wrong road. i was just on a journey. and that journey, i suspect, is not a journey of FINDING my purpose, but LIVING it.
it is not life’s fault that i do not realise that my life is (always) on purpose. “I” may not be on purpose, but my life always is.
and that realisation is so humbling. and relieving.
it just needs my ‘getting used to’ it. and THAT was the ego you were referring to, i presume.
and when that ego bursts wide open, unable to contain the largeness of life, i, for the first time, am able to ’see’ the purpose’.
thats what i am realising now. and for all i know, like everything else, i may be wrong.
and life will live its purpose. through me. dragging, or dancing in tune.
love/b.
August 8th, 2007 at 2:58 am
I have went through in a way that empowers rather than diminishes me.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I was on the net looking up the meaning of 5-leaf clovers when i came upon this web site. For what has my life been preparing me? I don’t know yet because I’m still living it. I do know I have 5 beutiful, healthy children and up to 8 beutiful healthy grandchildren. I know from my parents, grandparents & yes even the joy of knowing all my great-grandparents that part of my purpose in life is my grandchildren and even future great-grandchildren - guiding and teaching what little bit I have learned and taught by my family. But ….back to the clovers…..I too have always had a thing for finding 4-leaf clovers since I was a small child. I also have found many 5-lef clovers. There is also an abundance of 1 and 2 leaf clovers if you look. (note - no one should ever spent more than a clancing moment looking for them - that’s wasting life looking at the ground.)
I didn’t learn until my early 40’s when my dad lost his wallet for the 1st time in his life that all the 4-leaf clovers I had so proudly discovered as a child were in that wallet. My mom had taken them (at his request) and laminated them together for my dad to carry them evey where he went. His wallet contents did return to him along with the clovers. When he passed away this last year my sisters and brother made it a point to ensure his clovers were with him……. my dad loved that little thing about me and that was good enough……me.