Written by: Connie Costa, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
According to a Harris Interactive 2021 survey, only 20% of Americans are passionate about their jobs. Only 20%, let that sink in. The rest either hate their job or are just "satisfied" with their job. Being merely satisfied with your career is not good enough for me. Hence, where I come in.
As a Holistic Transformational Coach for over 14 years, one of my specialties has been helping my clients find their life's purpose while getting handsomely paid. Most of my clients come to me claiming they have no idea what their purpose is, but I know this isn't true. Deep inside, we all know what we want to do, but we live in a society that does not encourage us to follow our dreams. For some odd reason, we are led to believe that we need to live a life of sacrifice and struggle to get food on the table and that loving what we do and making tons of money from it is too good to be true. I disagree.
We are born with specific gifts and talents. Somewhere along the way, due to the environment, parents, teachers, friends, and family, we stop listening to our internal guidance and the outside noise becomes louder and louder. We listen to everyone else's opinion on what we "should" do rather than what we want to do.
Often, our parents want us to choose "a safe path" where can receive a "safe paycheck" every two weeks. Next thing you know, you are at a job you can't stand, living a life you do not recognize, staring at the clock, wishing you were anywhere else but there.
We start dreading Mondays and long for Fridays. The weekends are our escape from reality. Drinking often numbs the pain. Sunday nights we start feeling sick all over again. Perhaps your life isn't as dramatic as this, but unfortunately, this is a common scenario in most of the world.
So, what can we do? Can we have our cake and eat it too? After years of experience, the answer is ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY! First, we need to re-discover what it is that we were put on earth for. Surely, we were not put on earth to waste oxygen. The Universe, Spirit, God (whatever you prefer) has a mission for each of us, and all we need to do is follow our path. But how do we know what our path is? Here are some questions that will help you with this.
What did you want to do as a child?
Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Remember yourself as a child. What did you want to be when you grew up? What did you love to play? What were you naturally good at?
Think of the most painful time you had in your life. What did you learn? How can you prevent others from experiencing the same pain?
While it might not seem fun to reminisce about painful experiences, this exercise has been most useful to my clients. I believe that everything that happens has a purpose, and I believe these experiences are there for us to grow and help others. If we can see the blessing, we can not only transform our lives but the lives of others. Painful experiences are there to help evolve our souls and to be able to bless others with our newfound knowledge. I have many examples in my own life, but one great example is my relationship to money. There were months in my career where I did not make a single penny, but it forced me to learn about money, and think outside the box. Today, I can teach and coach my clients on the subject of money and assist them in getting handsomely paid doing what they love.
If you had all the money in the world, what would you do?
Besides the obvious (pay debt, travel, buy a huge house, etc.) after you have done all the fun stuff, now what? How do you see yourself filling your days? How would you like to contribute to society?
What energizes and excites you? What are you doing when time simply flies by?
Think about what activities bring you the most joy. The ones that come most naturally. The ones you can do for hours on end that make you feel elated. What do you love to talk about? What are you constantly trying to bring up in conversations? What are you most praised about? What are your hobbies and passions? This is where your purpose lies. If you had one week left on this earth, and you could do anything you wanted, what would you do in that final week?
What if there are several things you want to do?
Then do them all. Explore, explore, and then explore some more. My only suggestion is that you start with one thing at a time. Give your all to one project at a time. You don't want your energy scattered all over the place. Once you have become successful at one project, start the next one, and then the next. You will learn what you love and be surprised at what you do not enjoy.
What if it seems impossible?
If I have learned anything, it's that the Universe loves to test us. How bad do you want something? I tell my clients to forget about a plan B, and that no matter what, they should only focus on plan A. Why? Because when the going gets tough, and believe me, it will, we will automatically choose to go with plan B. But the Universe loves to see determination. So, although something might seem impossible, it's not. Just keep going no matter what. Just take one step at a time and have patience.
What if you lack self-confidence?
Listen, everyone lacks self-confidence in one thing or another. Even those who seem super confident. All of us are naturally better at some things than others. What I know brings massive confidence, is just doing the damn thing. Feeling fear, and doing it despite the fear, gets us to a different level of self-confidence. When I think about the fellow coaches who started with me, and I see how far I've come along compared to them, the ONLY difference is that I started despite not feeling ready. Truth is, you will never feel ready. But once you jump in, you just do what you got to do and continue with it until the end. When you keep practicing and honing your skill, you will feel more and more confident as well. The secret is to just do it!
How do I start my life's purpose?
You. Literally. Just. Start. You are enough. I've had countless clients believe they needed more classes, more degrees, or to go study with a Spiritual guru at the top of the Himalayas, but none of that is true. I am not saying you should not constantly learn and grow. A day does not go by where I am not reading, listening to podcasts, or where I am not learning from mentors and coaches. I am obsessed with always becoming a better coach and overall better human being. But I didn't make this an excuse as to why I could not start. The reason I am such an effective coach today is that I simply started and got tons of experience.
The secret is to focus on baby steps. The reason why most of my clients initially come to me overwhelmed is that they feel that they need to go from where they are to becoming the next Oprah or Tony Robbins by the next week. Neither Oprah, nor Tony Robbins, nor any other phenomenal mentor became a sensation overnight. It took years of dedication, work, persistence, faith, and trust. I have my clients focus on what they can do today. As you take one step, the Universe will show you the next, and then the next. I promise. The Universe simply wants to see that you are committed and then, as if by magic, doors open, the right people come into our lives, and we are shown the way.
My clients always ask me if they should simply quit their jobs while they are pursuing their purpose and trust that they will be taken care of. That's one way to do it, but not one I would recommend. That's a lot of unnecessary stress, especially in such a delicate moment. Rather, I have my clients stay at their current job and work daily (even if only for 30 minutes a day) on their purpose. Once they are making enough money for their purpose, they can let go of their current job.
What if you hate your current job?
Perhaps a reframe is in order. Can you focus on what you DO enjoy about your work? There is always something to be grateful for. Perhaps your co-workers? Helping people? Getting a stable paycheck that pays the bills? I always tell my clients that no matter how much they dislike their current job, they need to give 200% of themselves, show up, and reframe their current situation. Complaining, having an attitude, not giving your all, only worsens the situation. Reframe, change your attitude, KNOW that even though this is only temporary it's serving a bigger purpose. It is taking you where you want to go.
So, what about mindset?
Having the right mindset is even more important than any business strategy you can learn. It's one of the main things I work on with my clients. Your thoughts become your reality. Thus, it's crucial to understand both your conscious and unconscious programming. I will explore this in greater detail in my next article since there is so much to be said about mindset. What I will say is this, "You are worthy of having the life and career you dream of. You are worthy simply because you are a child of the creator. Period." The main difference between those achieving high levels of success in their careers and those who aren't is simply because they believe they can. Believe in yourself. Rise up. Share your message. Take massive action. The world is waiting. Ignoring the call is blasphemy. You can do this.
My main advice is to have fun! Manifesting your dream life and career comes from feeling good. You won't manifest what you truly desire from stress and anxiety. Every day, focus on what you would love to do that day. Who can you serve? Whose life can you improve? By doing what? How can you leave the world a better place? Think of activities that would make you jump out of bed with excitement. Do them. Living your life's purpose is fun, fulfilling, and rewarding. So, what are you waiting for?
Connie Costa, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Connie Costa is a Holistic Life Coach, Sicily Wellness Retreat Leader, International Speaker, and Published Writer who assists people in pursuing their life's purpose. She graduated from Antioch University with a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology and is a certified Life Coach by the Holistic Life Coaching Foundation.
Connie is an expert at identifying her client's passions, gifts, and talents and converting them into the career of their dreams! She has coached countless clients in taking risks in order to pursue their life's purpose and become powerful manifestors in their life. Connie has produced and hosted major transformational events, coached numerous holistic business groups, and has spoken in front of thousands.
Connie leads Spiritual & Wellness Retreats in both the U.S and Sicily, Italy.
Connie's motto is "fall in-love with fear so you can marry success!"
