Finding your purpose
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To find your purpose, trusted experts suggest several approaches:
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Reflective Examination:
- Dr. Michael Gervais emphasizes cutting through life's noise to focus on the present moment. He suggests that purpose is found through reflective examination of how you want to live your life, stating that no one can give you purpose; you have to do the work yourself 1.
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Values and Self-Interrogation:
- Dr. Alex George recommends getting out of your head and writing down your thoughts. By listing your purpose and setting goals to achieve it, you can align your actions with your true desires. This process involves questioning what truly makes you happy and whether your current actions are moving you towards your purpose 2.
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Core Values and Resilience:
- Leah Weiss suggests clarifying your core values and reflecting on your past choices. By understanding what environments make you feel most alive and aligning daily activities with these values, you can reduce emotional conflict and stress 3.
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Structured Exercises:
- Dan Buettner offers a practical exercise: create columns for your values, what you love to do, what you're good at, and how you can give back. Filling these out can help identify commonalities that point to your purpose. Volunteering is highlighted as a beneficial activity that can offer happiness and health benefits 4.
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Exploratory Play:
- Jordan Harbinger advocates exploring different activities and noting which ones excite and energize you. He advises against immediately turning hobbies into careers without considering the practical aspects and suggests that small exploratory steps can lead to the revelation of a larger purpose over time 5.
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Inherent Purpose:
- Trent Shelton believes that purpose is not found externally but is inherent within oneself. He emphasizes that recognizing you are purpose, rather than attaching your purpose to specific roles or achievements, allows you to live your full potential in any situation 6.
Each expert highlights the importance of introspection, aligning actions with core values, and recognizing the inherent purpose within oneself. Taking time for reflective practices, structured exercises, and exploratory activities can gradually lead to a clearer sense of purpose.
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