Written by: Jola Pypno-Crapanzano, 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.
"Purpose isn't a concept that you have, it's something you are enacting, something you ultimately define, not find" – Brendon Burchard
The definition of purpose states that it is the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. To psychologists, the purpose is an abiding intention to achieve a long-term goal that is both personally meaningful and makes a positive mark on the world. Defining purpose is often regarded as one of the most important activities in personal development.
Like happiness, the purpose is not a destination, but a journey and practice. The challenge is that we can have different purposes in different areas of our life as well as in different times of our life. Some people live their entire lives trying to figure out the purpose of their existence.
When you know the purpose of your life, you tend to live a more meaningful existence than those who don't. You tend to live each day to the fullest because you know who you are, where you're coming from, and where you're going.
"Having a purpose is the difference between making a living and making a life". – Tom Thiss
There are several benefits of discovering your purpose in life:
You will gain clarity in your life. Clarity is power, and therefore knowing your purpose in life will make you unstoppable. You will know what you want, and you won't waste your time on meaningless things.
You will live a life based on your most important values. These values will guide your decisions in life and help define your goals and will help you connect with others who share a similar way of viewing the world.
You will stay focused and avoid distractions. It will become easier for you to focus on what matters the most in your life. You will be able to find direction and stay away from distractions.
You will live with congruence and integrity. You will know who you are, what you are, and why you are, and you will live true to your core values.
You will be passionate about your goals. This passion will drive you to achieve extraordinary things in life and reach your goals both personally and professionally.
You will find flow in life. Knowing your true purpose will help you connect to the universal stream of consciousness. You will let things happen instead of fighting against them.
You will become more courageous. Your purpose and strong why will help you battle your fears.
You will have more trust. Because knowing your true purpose will encourage synchronicities and serendipities in your life, you will develop more trust and faith in other people.
You will make a greater impact through your work and will feel more gratified.
You will have more fun in life. Knowing your purpose in life you will enjoy every minute of it and you will become more creative.
"Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it" ‒ Buddha
There are countless other benefits of knowing your purpose such as:
increased optimism,
resiliency,
hope,
joy
happiness, and
satisfaction
better physical, mental, and emotional health,
lower risk of death,
engagement,
sense of belonging,
career satisfaction,
higher income.
When you maximize your talents, you are on the path, on purpose, on target. When you hear yourself say: I am stressed, I'm going to have a breakdown, you are clearly not on your path, and you're most likely not doing what you were meant to do.
How can we discover our purpose?
One of the very well-known methods is IKIGAI (the intrinsic value, worth that the person finds in their life) ‒ the Japanese art of unlocking your best life relieving anxiety and discovering your happiness and purpose.
The western version of IKIGAI is based on a diagram created by Spanish author Andres Zuzunaga, known as the purpose Venn Diagram. The diagram represents four components of achieving IKIGAI:
Finding what you love
Finding what the world needs
Finding what you are good at
Finding what you can get paid for
These four components intersect with each other to creative sub-goals:
The Passion is where "what you love" intersects with "what you are good at"
The Mission is where "what you love" intersects with "what the world needs"
The Vocation is where "what the world needs" intersects with "what you can get paid for"
The Profession is where "what you are good at" intersects with "what you can get paid for"
According to the diagram, your IKIGAI would be the sum of what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for.
So, make finding your purpose a priority, you will find the peace and serenity that comes from leading a purpose-driven life. Because as Wayne Dyer said: "When you stay on purpose and refuse to be discouraged by fear, you align with the infinite self, in which all possibilities exist".
"The purpose of life is a life of purpose". – Robert Byrne
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Jola Pypno-Crapanzano, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jola Pypno-Crapanzano is a Certified High-Performance Coach™️, NLP and TLT®️ Practitioner, founder and CEO of Coaching Journey with Jola, two times International Bestselling Author of “One” - Your wellness guide to body, mind, and soul and “stay home” – When you can’t go outside, what happens inside? She carries Masters Degree in Scientific-Technical Information from Silesian University in Poland. She has over 30 years of combined experience working with thousands of unique individuals and groups of people serving them in many different capacities. First, as a tour guide traveling worldwide (almost 70 countries visited so far) and translating into 4 languages, then working in the entertainment and hospitality industry as part of operational management in a large publicly traded company in NYC. Finally, coaching people initially as fitness, wellness, and lifestyle coach and most recently more holistically as Certified High-Performance Coach™️, NLP and Time Line Therapy®️ Practitioner. She also helps her clients with positive intelligence, specializing in strengthening their Mental Fitness and supporting them through various strategic interventions. Her mission is to help one million people live their lives to the fullest, reach heightened and sustained levels of clarity, energy, courage, productivity, and influence and show them that it is possible to live lives of their dreams, on their terms, without regrets, be fully engaged, joyful and confident and build an incredible lasting legacy.