Notes From The Furlough: Day 69

Purpose is what you do when you feel driven by love.

Please discuss. How does this play out in life?

I’ll start us out. This year’s events have been an awakening for all of us. We’re evaluating and shifting, especially those of us who are unemployed, trying to figure out what we want to or should be doing. There is the usual tug of financial concerns but also, perhaps more than in the past, the fear/allure of creating our lives afresh. In this potential reinvention of ourselves, how do we know the best path? How do we hew to our purpose in life? And why does it matter?

I can list off major factors impelling my career concerns: need for income, capitalizing on skills and experience, desire to learn, satisfaction of helping others and/or making a positive difference. I also need to identify how I feel about my options. What is acceptable or exciting? What makes me feel passionate? And what do I love doing so much that I would do it for free, or even if I had to pay to do it? When I focus on the options(s) that make me feel love, I’m touching on my purpose. While financial realities may intrude, I’ll want to incorporate what I love into my game plan as much as possible. When love underlies and motivates what I do, when I am filled with purpose, my life is richer and more satisfying, and I feel happier, healthier, and more balanced.

How about you? How do you recognize your life purpose and honor it in your daily life?