Living With Purpose: Defining A Personal Mission
Photographer: Noel Bauza
Living With Purpose: Make a Personal Mission a Priority
Have you ever looked at your life and wondered, “How did I get here?”? You may have had the sensation of waking up in another person’s life. Or perhaps you realized that the things you’ve been working so hard for all these years feel empty and unsatisfying. Your life may look good on paper, but deep down, you know something isn’t right.
If so, you’re not alone. Many people realize that they’ve been moving through life without really stopping to question where they’re going (or why). This realization can happen at any point, but it often shows up around mid-life, amid grief, at certain life milestones or when approaching our later years.
How do we end up so lost in the first place? As children and young adults, our parents, friends, and acquaintances teach us to value certain things. We also acquire certain beliefs from marketing messages, media exposure, and other cultural influences. The internalization of those views throws off our internal compass, setting us adrift.
Get Your Bearings By Identifying Your Personal Mission
If life is a journey, a personal mission is like your own personal north star. No matter what obstacles you encounter or how turbulent your life becomes, your personal mission will always be there to keep you moving in the right direction.
The idea of a mission isn’t new, of course. Practically every company has a mission statement displayed on its walls, advertisements, and internal documents. A company mission establishes its identity and keeps employees on the same page.
A personal mission runs deeper. It’s not something to proclaim, but something to hold in one’s heart. It promotes individuality—not homogeneity—and prioritizes purpose above profit. Following your personal mission might result in a good reputation or material success, but that is not its primary goal.
Divining A Life For Yourself
Your personal mission is already within you, but you may need to reconnect with it. By reflecting on who you were, who you are, and who you want to become, you can discard years of social conditioning to reveal your authentic core.
You can start this process by looking back in time for common threads. At various stages of your life, were there similar activities you consistently enjoyed? Did you embody certain ideals again and again, regardless of the cost? You may have been pressured into certain activities or ways of thinking, but try to look beyond that. What choices did you make—or wish you would have made? What stories have you loved and why?
Taking Your Personal Mission into the Real World
Living in alignment with a personal mission can help you live a happier, healthier, more purposeful life. You’ll spend less time wondering how to find meaning and more time creating it. Best of all, you won’t find yourself lying on your deathbed wondering, “What was it all for?”
Embodying the values of your personal mission can help you endure challenges and change. At the same time, your personal mission may change over time. Your priorities may look a bit different at different developmental stages. Additionally, the content of your personal mission may change after you experience loss, trauma, other life-changing events or when you step on a spiritual path.
While your personal mission will likely evolve, it will always serve a central role in your life. If you are searching for the clarity and sense of purpose that a personal mission can provide, I can help. As a licensed therapist and experienced spiritual guide, I can help you retrieve and make sense of your personal mission. Please contact me so we can explore the possibility of working together.