It's the summer after 6th grade and I'm at my friend Nico's house. It's a 10-minute walk from my door to his so I find myself there often. The Oregon summer weather isn't quite warm enough to stay out past dark so we find ourselves inside without much to do.
Nico suggests we watch a new scary movie that just came out on DVD called Darkness Falls. I had never been a fan of scary movies, but not wanting to look like a wimp in front of my friend, I tell him I'm in.
The movie is about a vengeful spirit that exacts revenge on the people in the form of the Tooth Fairy. If people are in the light, they're safe, but whenever "darkness falls," she strikes. The movie ends and I am now officially terrified of the dark.
As I got older and grew up, I thought that my fears would subside. What I know now is that our fears don't go away, they just change.
Today, my biggest fear is living an insignificant life. What greater tragedy could one face than getting to the end of their life and realizing it didn't matter? The first step in mitigating this fear is having a clearly defined and articulated purpose statement for your life.
Last week we discussed the benefits of knowing your purpose in life. This week, we'll provide a process for discovering your purpose. If you have $250 to spare, you can take Simon Sinek's "Find Your Why" online course.
If you want to save some cash, here is a process that I teach to others to articulate their purpose.
Create your Lifeline
A lifeline is a series of meaningful moments in your life. These can be positive, happy moments or negative, trying moments. Start by drawing a line on a piece of paper. Write "Day 0" on the left end of your life. "Day 0" will. be the first meaningful moment you can remember. For me, it was story I shared in last week's Two For You. Write "Today" on the right side of your line. Then fill in the Lifeline with moments from your life that matter. Write the happy moments above the line and the sad moments below. You should have no less than 15 moments, but the more the better.
Identify the "why" for each moment
Your life has been filled with billions of moments, but you chose the moments you did for a reason. For each moment on your Lifeline, write down why you chose that specific moment.
Look for patterns
Begin looking for patterns and themes in the "why's" you just identified. Are you happiest when working with groups? Do you do best on your own? Is it natural for you to include others? Do you have a strong sense of justice? During this step, ask yourself, "What contributions have I been making to the world?" Narrow down your contributions to what you feel most connected to.
Draft a statement using the "To, So That" formula
Utilizing the contributions you just wrote down, place them into the "why statement" formula from Simon Sinek. "To (insert contribution). So that (insert impact)." By writing your purpose statement in this format you are answering the questions of what contribution you're making to this world and what impact you hope to have via that contribution.
My heart still beats a little faster when the power goes out and I don't think I'll be watching any movies about the Tooth Fairy anytime soon, but at least I no longer have to be afraid of leading an insignificant life.
We can't know when our lives will end, so stop living life on accident and define your purpose today.
Fact
The number one fear in America is losing a loved one.
Action
After you draft your purpose statement, have a close friend review your work and look for what you may have missed.
Question
What contribution has your life made?
Quote
"That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse."
-Excerpt from O Me! O Life! by Walt Whitman
コメント