Living in alignment with your purposeful flow feels fabulous. It’s a place of deep authenticity, passion, power, and meaning.
When you’re living your higher purpose, what you’re doing feels more fulfilling than anything else—and you’re naturally better at it. Success comes easier because you’re doing what comes naturally to you.
You’re probably familiar with the opposite: what it feels like to be off purpose. It’s like standing in a river, resisting the strong pull downstream while trying to move in a different direction.
It’s frustrating and requires constant effort to forge a path against your natural flow, especially when you don’t know what the most purposeful direction might be.
Two Ways to Uncover Your Higher Purpose
There are two methods to discover who you’re meant to be and what you’re meant to do. The first can be done in one sitting; the second is a deeper dive.
Method 1: Reflect on Your Past and Future
The simple way to uncover your higher purpose is to reflect on your life. When were you in joy, flow, passion, deep meaning, alignment, or ease? Capture what you were doing in those moments—if you felt on purpose, you most likely were on purpose.
Imagining an ideal future provides another valuable source of information. What would you do if you were fully funded and knew you couldn’t fail? When you reach old age, what would you want to look back on with satisfaction? Add these clues to the ones above.
Review all the clues you’ve gathered about your purpose. What recurring themes do you notice? Which ones have the most impact as you read them? That’s the gold you’re looking for.
Method 2: A Deeper Meditative Process
The second method uses a meditative process that delves into the subconscious to uncover the part of you that already knows your higher purpose. It results in four components of purpose that can be translated into marketing language if you own a business.
It’s more complex, involving addressing any fears, concerns and doubts about connecting with your inner wisdom and higher purpose. For more information about this method, see Tim Kelley’s book True Purpose or email me your questions.
Assess Your Purpose Alignment
Now that you have a sense of your higher purpose, it’s time to assess how aligned you are with it. Get your purpose alignment score at https://assess.coach/clearchangegroup/.
If you don’t score perfectly, reflect on what it would take to bring you home to the truth of who you are. Journaling is an excellent way to dialogue with the parts of you that feel stuck rather than open to flowing with your natural current.
Find out what they need, and negotiate agreements to make it safe for them to relax into your purposeful flow.
Example Internal Dialogue
Here’s how such a conversation might unfold:
Self: I’d like to talk to a part of me that doesn’t feel safe opening to the flow of our purpose.
Part: Yeah, okay, what do you want?
Self: I want to understand what doesn’t feel safe and what you might need for us to open to our purposeful flow.
Part: I don’t like how you keep wanting to change things. I want things to stay still so I can relax into something safe and familiar.
Self: I appreciate that. When did you first show up in my life, and what has your role been?
Part: I came in when we were 2 years old. Things felt unpredictable with our mom, so I tried to make things solid and predictable.
Self: That does sound challenging. Do you like nature—the trees, flowers, birds, and everything?
Part: Yes! I love all of that.
Self: Do you see them changing?
Part: Yes! And I love how the flowers bloom, the trees sway in the wind, and the birds fly around.
Self: Would it be okay if we changed like things in nature do? Even mountains wear down and rebuild themselves, just at a slower pace. I can’t think of anything that doesn’t change. What if we agree to change more slowly, easing the pacing to one step at a time? Would that make you feel safe?
Part: Yes! And if you promise to check in with me about how I’m doing with the pacing, I’ll have what I need.
Self: Perfect! I promise to do that, and we have an agreement.
Continue this exercise until each part that’s protesting and staying stuck is open to the flow of your purpose. Enjoy the process, and let me know if you have any questions!