16 - How do you connect to your purpose?

Welcome back to I Wanna Be Me When I Grow Up. My name is Kara.

Today we're talking about connecting to purpose. In Episode 1 - I introduced you to the origin story for my life's purpose of "I Wanna Be Me When I Grow Up" - and throughout this podcast I hope you've come to see I also want to help others be them when they grow up too. Today, we're going to dig in a little to our purpose through an idea I call "Believe in Something Bigger."

I've talked previously about how I'm an introvert's introvert. But, I also know that I am at my best when I engage with others, I collaborate, and I expand my knowledge - and even how I think about things - beyond what I know and how I think today. For me, this is the foundation of believing in something bigger.

Religion and spirituality also play a role here for me as well. I was raised in the Christian faith in a pretty small rural church here in Indiana. My faith has always been important to me. As I've matured though, I've walked farther and farther way from formal religion to what Thomas Moore calls "A Religion of One's Own." I am a part of a few different faith communities - some directly connected with churches of varying denominations and others completely disassociated from any one church or faith community. I hold space for all beliefs and traditions and I learn from them rather than assuming they are bad or wrong because they are not mine.

In that regard, I'm going to share a quote today from a friend who I believe would rather remain anonymous. The friend sent this on behalf of a small spiritual community I am a part of to another member who just suffered a deep loss. They said, "When innocence is lost, when the old rules and paradigm no longer work, good people like you do not nurse resentment or withdraw for long, you embrace what you have learned/experienced and bring it to the rest of us as a measure of wisdom."

Here are your questions to think about how purpose might play a role in your personal framework for wellness:

1. What is your purpose? In a recent newsletter article, I shared an exercise based on Simon Sinek's "Find Your Why" that can help you discover your purpose if you're not sure of it. I'll link to that in the show notes - https://iwannabemewhenigrowup.substack.com/p/35-lets-meet-the-two-types-of-values

2. What do you routinely look to that is bigger than you? Things like nature, relationships, faith, a cause you believe in, vocation or calling are just a few ideas of things to think about if this is not a question you've considered before.

3. How do connect with your purpose? What rituals, habits, and routines help you to regularly recenter yourself in what your purpose is?

Today we talked about purpose and tomorrow we're going to do the first of two days where we look at how we use our resources - our time, talent, and treasure - both to preserve and to enrich our lives. 

Don't forget to like, rate, review and share this podcast if it was valuable to you. Do you want to make sure you get every episode as well as everything else I publish? If so, then subscribe to my newsletter at https://iwannabemewhenigrowup.substack.com/. 

I'll talk to you tomorrow. 

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