Everyone tells us that the best way to be happy in life is to do what you love. If your work asks that you solve peoples problems all day long, and doing that makes you happy then you probably get up in the morning looking forward to your day. If your passion is food, and you’re a chef or a food blogger then you are probably doing what you love.
It’s not so easy for someone who doesn’t know what their dream is, or about what they are passionate. They may spend a lifetime in a job that doesn’t make them happy, but generates enough income to do some of the important things in their life, and that’s enough. For example, if you are passionate about fishing, you may not be able to earn a living at it, but you earn enough from working in your office job to allow you to buy a boat and fish most weekends.
I worked with a woman who had come at a crossroad in her life. Physical injuries prevented her from continuing with the sport that fed her passion and kept her so driven in her career and life. She could not envision having any other passions or dreams to work towards. Her despair was palpable and crushing. It didn’t happen overnight, but she did find a new purpose after many months of soul searching and examining what brought her joy in life, and what skills she still possessed. It required that she go back to school, and get qualifications in a field that had been a side interest. She’s feeling fulfilled again, working with people she enjoys, for a purpose that gave her life meaning.
The meaning of life is to discover our gifts. The purpose of life is to give them away.
~Albert Einstein
Like my friend’s situation, the key is figuring out what your dream is, and if you can earn a living wage from it, and if not, how you can raise the resources to fund your dream.
Start by asking yourself these questions. The answers may reveal some clues as to areas that make you very happy, and you can assess whether or not you are spending enough time on them. Once you have some areas of interest, you may need to spend more time examining whether it’s something you do as a hobby, on a volunteer basis or as a career.
- What are your hobbies – what do you do in your spare time? What do you read? Do you like to learn new things?
- What are your talents – what comes naturally, or easy to you? Are you good in sports, are you a great organiser, are you artistic?
- Who do you like to work with? Do you prefer to work with people your age? Or do you like to work alone, or with minimum supervision?
- What do you like to work with – do you like to work with computers, or mechanical tools? Given the choice would you want to be a personal shopper, or answer phones all day?
- What environment do you like to work in – if you can’t see yourself stuck in an office, or do you prefer working outdoors, or driving around the city doing deliveries.
- When have you been happiest ?
A word of caution.
Finding happiness does not have to be electrifying, or extraordinary. Happiness lies in the simplicity of life. It’s there in our uncomplicated lives, content with a peaceful existence. Not everyone needs to have a purpose-driven life.
It’s important to remember that all that we seek is right here in our hearts and in the stillness of our life. When we quiet our mind, and feel the flow of our breath, we are fulfilling our purpose. The worthiness we seek is in the human that we already are, in this being that has always existed.
Regarding having purpose in life as a key to happiness I am of two minds. Can we just be happy, doing things we enjoy, without it being about improving human kind? Can our existence really be about gratitude and just letting the flow of life be the direction of our life? That’s probably why so many people don’t know if they are living their dream. am continuously riding the pendulum
There is no need to get, to do, or be one more thing. It is not a condition of our existence. Remembering our innate wholeness, our true nature is all that is being asked of us.
I don’t know if our life has a purpose and I don’t see that it matters. What does matter is that we’re a part. Like a thread in a cloth or a grass-blade in a field. It is and we are. What we do is like wind blowing on the grass.”
Ursula K. Le Guin, The Lathe of Heaven
Journal prompt for today: one of my happiest moments was when…
Intention for today’s meditation: I chose to be happy right now.
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