Purpose pt.2

Today we continue our look at the third and final component of Extraordinary Success: Purpose. 

In the last post we learned that purpose can be defined simply as the reason why something exists.

We also introduced you to four questions designed to help you uncover your unique, specific purpose and took a closer look at the first question.

The four questions were:

1. What would happen if you did not exist?
2. What are you passionate about?
3. What are your skills/talents?
4. What makes you feel noble?

In this post, we’ll explore the second question…

What are you passionate about?

What excites you?
What gives you energy?
What do you love to do?

For some of you this will be easy to answer. If so, you already know what you’re passionate about. If you don’t know, don’t worry–you’re not alone. A recent study found that 80% of Americans asked responded that they weren’t passionate about anything!

This is problematic. If passion is a key ingredient to finding your purpose then extraordinary success can’t be truly achieved without it!

So how do we find and develop a passion? One of the best ways is to find something that piques your interest and learn more about it. Dive in and discover as much as you can about that interest and sometimes, a true spark of passion will be ignited.

For example, a few years ago my wife Amanda was passionate about adoption. We had a son and daughter at the time and I didn’t have the same passion for adoption. As I began to research and learn more about it, I became increasingly interested in the miracle that adoption could be and eventually I found that I too shared Amanda’s passion for adoption. We have since adopted a son and daughter–Creed and Everson. They light up our lives and have added a great deal of purpose!

That’s just one personal example of something that piqued my interest that became a true passion. You can do the same thing with your own interests.

If you start by honestly answering the question of what gives you energy, what excites you, and what you love to do you will often be well on your way to discovering your passion, which is directly tied to your unique purpose!

With the remaining two questions we’ll complete our discussion around discovering your purpose. For the next week however,  I invite you to stay focused on the passion piece of the puzzle. I know you’ll find it rewarding and, quite possibly, life-changing!