Purpose is a term that is used frequently when one seeks to find out the meaning of their life and what the greater role is that they have to fulfill. Many spend a lifetime trying to figure out their purpose while others have figured out their purpose early but are experiencing struggles along the way that are interfering with their confidence and ability to walk fully into their purpose. Maybe you are wondering how you can walk fully into your purpose if you have not figured out what your purpose is. That is the struggle of purpose. We are constantly seeking to understand our profound reason for being on earth and we spend our days trying to figure out the puzzle that is life. This was often my struggle, I often tried to match my purpose to what I was good at, my talents or things that I was accomplishing. While those things are all great things to build upon, does that necessarily mean that is your purpose?
A conversation with my nineteen year old nephew changed my perspective. I was having a random conversation with my nephew and my sister and I said "I want to know that everything that I went through or endured was for a purpose". My nephew simply responded "what if that is not meant for you to know now". That statement resonated with me and it prompted me to think about all of the other things that I have tried to have figured out instead of just trusting the process and enjoying the moment. That conversation with my nephew made me look at things differently about the idea of purpose. I think that believing that we have one grand purpose can border on all or nothing or absolute thinking. I think that we serve many purposes while we are alive and some of the purposes, we may never realize that we have served.
For example, maybe one of your many purposes was to say "hello" to the local grocer and maybe your tiny greeting made him/her feel seen or made the difference in their bad day turning into a good day. Maybe your purpose was to teach a small mind who would later grow up to be a change agent. Maybe your purpose was to help someone that you may never realized that you helped. I would like to believe that we are far more valuable and useful than one specific purpose. I think we were created to have several purposes while we are on earth and I think all of these purposes are naturally fulfilled when we decide to live. We do not have to solve the puzzle that is life in order to live it. All we have to do is take one breath at a time, one day at a time and live.
I like to watch the hummingbirds drink from the hummingbird feeders in my mother's garden. I am always amazed and humbled when I see a hummingbird. It is difficult for me to be sad when I'm sitting in my mother's garden and watching a hummingbird. They bring a smile to my face and remind me of something greater than myself. That hummingbird will never know that one of its many purposes was to bring joy, cheer, and grounding to a busy and anxious mind. The beauty of the hummingbird is that even though it never ponders or realizes it purpose, it continues to serve its purpose.
If you are struggling with purpose, take heart in the fact that whether you realize it or not, you are already serving your purpose. The moment you were in your mother's womb, your purpose was already being fulfilled. It does not matter if you have made mistakes. It does not matter if your life has been an endless roller coaster ride. It does not matter if you feel unworthy. There is purpose for your life and you are already fulfilling it.
Do not struggle for purpose. Do not hunt or send out a search party looking for your purpose. Trust that your purpose is already being fulfilled and there is no one better equipped for your purpose than you.