DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE

How do you discover your purpose in life? Others may advise you to look at your interests, hobbies, talents and preferences. This, however, produces good answers for only relatively few people. Some of our top athletes and entertainers belong to this category. They find their purpose in something they are good at.

For most people, the situation is not so clear. They need to search for answers precisely because they cannot align what they should do with what they like to do. They feel they will recognize the answer when they see it, but they continue to search everywhere, finding nothing.

In a case like this, the better way to discover your purpose is to look outside of yourself with respect to service. How can you serve others? What are the opportunities for you to bring the most good to most people? The key is to set your mind on other people instead of yourself. Keep at it for a while, and before you know it, your purpose will unfold and reveal itself to you.

The Tao Today

Your service does not have to be for a large group of people. The only rule here is that it has to be about something other than yourself. For instance, your true calling can be to raise your child, as it is for many parents. Keep your emphasis on quality instead of quantity. When it comes to your purpose in life, it is only your level of dedication that matters. The number of people you touch will take care of itself naturally.

The Tao of Joy Every Day

~ Derek Lin