I had a conversation today with a dear colleague and friend. There was much to share and I love the brilliance of her strategic mind. In our conversation I could hear her seeking for something but I couldn’t hear what it was she was seeking. So I probed a bit more and finally asked her if she knew how to find her joy? The answer was a resounding NO! And I knew right there, that without that answer she may be left seeking for a very long time – always feeling like she almost knows what she wants to do but not quite landing on it. You see, without knowing what brings you joy, how do you know you are on the right track for a life you actually love?
Now I realize joy means different things to different people. For some, like my friend today, joy may not even be the right word or concept. That’s fine – it’s normal to have different perspectives on any concept in life. It is still a workable situation to get to the bottom of what you are seeking. The key is to land on a word that does resonate with YOU.
Try asking yourself these questions to see what feels most natural. Chances are something in this realm will speak to you.
- What could you be doing that would make you feel fulfilled?
- What excites your imagination and gives you goose bumps or butterflies?
- What could you do that would deeply touch your heart or the hearts you seek to serve?
- What would make you feel truly connected to family, clients, community (fill in the blanks)?
- What would be a legacy that you’d be proud to achieve and look back on with deep satisfaction?
- What, if you created it, would you be most excited to tell the world/family/ community about?
- What possibilities for your life do you see that makes you want to take action right away?
- What achievement would you find yourself sad to have not pursued when looking back at the end of your life?
Obviously this isn’t an exhaustive list but it gives you a direction to answer the question “What is your soul seeking?”
Out of the answers to this question will come a direction for identifying your WHY? The why you do the work you do. The why you get up each day with a goal and the energy to go after it. The why you would trade your time for effort, pain, and persistence. Once you identify your joy and your why, I guarantee you will see a difference in your willingness to pursue and persevere whatever it takes to achieve it.
Seek and you shall find!
Be a blessing … and be blessed!
