All About You — Day 17: Your Purpose in Life
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[For “Day 16: If Only One Year to Live,” click here.]
ALL ABOUT YOU — DAY 17:
YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE
You may not realize it, but if you’ve been participating in this “All About You!” series and doing all of the exercises so far, your answers to the next four brainstorming questions will be heavily influenced by your responses to all of the previous exercises and your analysis of them.
We’re getting near the end of the “Part 2: What Do You Want?” portion of this series. Only this and three more brainstorming exercises left in this section before we move on to “Part 3: “How Will You Get It?” Thanks for staying with me!
We’ve been picking up more new participants along they way, and that’s terrific! Everyone is welcome to just jump right in; no need to start at the beginning. Go back to the prior exercises when you feel like it and have the time. After all, this really is all about you. Only you stand to benefit most from working on yourself. : )
BRAINSTORMING EXERCISE
1. Preparation
Clear your mind of all other thoughts. If stray thoughts not related to this exercise wander into your mind, let them drift right back out of your mind without paying any special attention to it. (If you think it’s something important that you’re afraid to forget later, just jot it down quickly and let it out of your thoughts again.)
2. Let it All Flow Freely
Use paper or the computer. Whatever is more comfortable for you. Jot down or type everything. Don’t cross out or delete anything (even if you suspect you might have already recorded it). Don’t reread your answers either (or check if you already recorded it) because doing so will break the flow. Just keep going. Ask yourself the question repeatedly and write down every answer that pops into your mind.
Complete this sentence: “My purpose in life is to …”
- a. Stay in the Present
There are probably hundreds of possible answers to this question. I list below the ones that immediately came to my mind as the answers that different people might come up with. Don’t judge yourself based on your own answers. That’s not the point of this exercise. The words you choose are merely clues to help you see and start to understand the bigger picture of who you are right now, right here—as well as who you no longer are or who you would like to be but have not become yet.
- b. Possible Answers
be free
be lazy
be silly
be wild
be crazy
be artistic
be creative
be whimsical
be impractical
be a tinkerer
be experimental
be unproductive
be unpredictable
be vague and unclear
not have any responsibilities
not have to be PC (”politcally correct”)
not have to CYA (”cover my ass”)
not have to work
not have to go to school
not have to account to anyone
not have to account for anything
not have to do anything
not have to dress up
not have to be presentable
not have to be cool
not have to be smart
not have to be clever
not have to be funny
not have to be popular
not have to be correct
not have to take tests
not have to study anything
not have to learn anything
not have to memorize anything
not have to hurry
not have to be on time
sit or lie around all day
take a nap whenever I want
watch TV or movies all day or
read magazines or paperbacks
surf the internet (including porn)
just stay home by myself
think about whatever I want
talk about whatever I want
talk on the phone all day long
write diary entries all day long
enjoy uncrowded public places
not interact with anyone I don’t want
be wildly generous anytime I want
befriend whomever I want
be a wife
be a mother
be a husband
be a father
take care of kids
take care of my family
take care of disabled people
take care of sick people
take care of animals
take care of trees
protect people from crime
protect people from earthquakes
protect people from war
protect the Earth from people
protect species from extinction
help people heal themselves
help people get healthier
help people get thinner
help people get better self images
help people find happiness
help people find jobs/careers
help people find their bliss
help people help themselves
save people’s lives
save people’s souls
save people’s minds
save people’s spirit
improve people’s bodies
improve people’s minds
improve people’s spirit
be a teacher
be a writer
be a poet
be an artist
be a dancer
be a musician
be an actor
be rich
be famous
be “somebody”
be popular
be loved
be admired
be respected
be committed
be involved
be important
be inspirational
be motivational
be a legend
be immortal
be part of a great team
be part of a great family
be part of a great clique
be an expert in something
be the best at something
be needed
be wanted
be in demand
be highly sought after
be a celebrity
be an authority
matter
make a difference
make the world a better place
constantly improve myself
constantly learn new things
learn from everything
be all that I can be
never waste a day of my life
never take a day for granted
add to the good in the world
die with little to no regrets
TO BE CONTINUED …
This is going to be an adventurous journey into our past, present, and future lives. None of us can be prepared for what we might find along the way. So, just sit back and enjoy the ride! Also, I hope at least some of you brave souls will share your answers, insights, and revelations in the comments below for everyone’s benefit!
When you’re done, collect your answers and keep them in a safe place. I recommend a diary. It makes a precious gift to someone you love, especially you!
[For “Day 18: Your Soul Mate,” click here.]
[For entire “All About You!” series, click here.]
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[For “10 Reasons to Keep a Diary,” click here.]
[For “20 Questions for Your Diary,” click here.]
[For “Requests for Cuckoo in Your Nest!,” click here.]
[For “How to Be an Extrovert,” click here.]
[For “My 10 Commandments,” click here.]
[For “Fan Your Inner Flame Till It Burns Bright,” click here.]
[For “Change Your Mindset to Change Your Life,” click here.]
