WHY?:Living your life with purpose

For the longest time, I just moved about in the world with no intention, unfulfilled, no purpose, no why. I never stopped to wonder why it felt like life had no meaning and why I felt so lost, disoriented, and confused most of the time. I think that we are often taught WHAT and HOW to live our lives, but not the why behind them.

Whether or not you're into setting New year's resolutions, I think this time of year is a really great time to think about what your WHY is so that you can start this new year on a really good and strong foundation of what your purpose is. You can move forward knowing what you’re here to do, so that you don’t feel like you're walking around half asleep (or like a zombie).

Your WHY is going to be the special and unique way that you can contribute and show up and serve others. Your WHY is what lights you up, the reason you get out of bed every morning. Your WHY comes from inside, not external factors. Your WHY is the reason you pick yourself back up and try, try again. Your WHY is what gives you meaning.

Money is not a why. Just saying. That only benefits you, not others. In a way, that’s kind of selfish. Of course, your why can help you just as much as it helps others. That’s totally ok. It should feel good to be doing what you're meant to do, and living your purpose.

How to find your WHY:

• Think about your values. What are they? Sit down and write them down in a journal. Here are some examples of my values to help you get started: compassion, curiosity, honesty, community, and kindness. Think about how you can act on those values in your life so that you can be more aligned with your true self.

• Think about what LIGHTS YOU UP. What are you really passionate about? Do not think of what others think or will think. Deep down, what really gets you going? What excites you? Find a way to take your passions and connect them to something that is bigger than you, has a larger impact.

• Think about your natural abilities. Everyone has something really special about them. I like to call them Super Powers. I'd like to believe my superpower is being able to connect with others easily. You have one too. This is related to your purpose, your WHY, and once you figure out what your abilities are, you just need to figure out how to wield them to support your WHY.

• Think about what kind of work you would be the most helpful in. We get in our own way a lot and really undermine our own skills and abilities. If you are passionate about something, you will ALWAYS find a way to be helpful. You have something completely special to offer that no one else has.

• Define or redefine what success looks like for you. How are you measuring your life? Try to think outside of the box, instead of just sticking with the “social norms” of what “success” looks like. For me, success means helping more and more people, feeling financially stable, living a minimal life, taking care of myself and my family, personal and career development, having little to no debt, doing work that makes me feel proud, living a life with purpose and sticking to my values, stress free as possible, continuing to love the process, being compassionate and authentic and genuine, etc.

• Think about what an ideal day would look like for you. What are you doing for work/career? What does your home life look like? How are you feeling? What else? This can usually give you a clear idea of what you want your life to look like and why you want that so you can move towards that.

• Think about what challenges you are open to facing when it comes to your passions, your WHY, your purpose. You are going to get knocked down. What are you willing to put up with? If it’s not much, then that probably isn't the right thing for you.

That is all I have for now. I hope those were helpful. We only get a short time here on this wonderful planet. I think we all just want to make sure that we spend most of our time doing important and meaningful things, no matter what they are. Obviously, there are going to be things you have to do that are, to be honest, not important in the grand scheme of things. But if you know your why, those won't be hard and they won't matter much all in all.

I was just moving around aimlessly. It never occurred to me that that wasn't the

only way to live. But for me to do something (especially when it comes to making big changes), there better be a good reason. A good WHY, ironically.

Why having a why is important/beneficial:

• Keeps you motivated. Nothing can get in your way. You know why you're living your life and why you're doing what you're doing, so it's easier to face challenges.

• It gives you a sense of purpose, it gives your life meaning.

• It helps build resiliency. We all get knocked down, but having a why can help you to dust yourself off and start again. If something doesn't work out, it's easier to get back up and try something new.

• You are more likely to be happy, joyful, kind, healthy, and live a longer life!

• It helps you to prioritize your life. Having a solid why allows you to feel comfortable saying no to things that don't support your why, and saying yes to things and people that do.

• It gives you a sense of direction. The how and what will come easier because you know your why.

• It increases your gratitude because you have a purpose. When things go your way, that just gives you more evidence you're doing what feels good, which then just increases your sense of gratitude even more.

• It allows you to live your life with a sense of purpose and integrity. You stick to your values and beliefs, and that is something you can be really proud of.

• It increases the amount of trust you have in yourself and your WHY and purpose.

That is all I have for now.

I hope that you find this helpful. I hope that you take the chance in figuring out what your why is so that you can live a more purpose driven life. You have so many special things to offer, and once you can figure out your way, I think you really find that life has so much more meaning.

I hope you are well, and please know I just adore you.

Love you so, so much.