“What is my purpose right now?”
I remember the day I received the answer to this question. It came after a process that occurred over several months. As part of my morning study, I had been listening to A Happy Pocket Full of Money by David Cameron Gikandi, and in his chapter on Purpose, he reminded me of something I already knew– “Purpose or destiny is what you, your Self, or soul chose to do here on earth–a choice based on your soul’s attributes and wishes…That is why it gives you so much joy doing it–because you chose it a long time ago. It is what you came here to do.” And then he followed with “Sit down quietly and find out why you are here. You have a purpose.” So I did. I did it for several days. Sometimes I would have a simple and incomplete thought, so I would write it down on a 3×5 card and then set it aside. Finally, one day I picked up all of those 3×5 cards and my purpose appeared there before me “I am ambassador for women. I help them to discover who they truly are and to find the power in their virtue.” I felt such a power in those words and I was compelled to get into action.
In contemplating what this meant in tangible terms that I could put into action, I again “sat down quietly.” I asked myself several questions: “What, exactly, is virtue?” “What have I done to discover my own power?” “What steps have I taken that have led me from where I was to where I am?” “What steps am I continuing to take that will lead me to where I want to be?” It all began to unfold and the steps were very clear.
So, “What is virtue?”
I had several conversations with friends, asking what “virtue” meant to them. I also researched different cultural perspectives on virtue. A comment from my friend Jen basically summarized what I found:
Virtue is cultivating a God confidence. It’s knowing who you are, where you come from, and what you stand for, and not falling from that.
To me this says two things: Virtue is knowing what your core values are and then aligning your life with them; and Virtue is knowing the true value of WHO YOU ARE! And as I evaluated my next question, I realized that discovering my own Value (or Virtue) has been the number one most profound step in my whole journey.
The other steps are the finishing touches.:
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being open to new ideas and experiences, -
becoming aware and clearing out limiting beliefs,
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stepping through fears,
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and celebrating the joy of what it feels like on the “other side.”
being open to new ideas and experiences,This has been my process. It is still unfolding and developing. I continue to reach new heights, but the process is the same. I know it works. And the best part of it all is watching it work for others who are trusting me to be their growth partner. 🙂
