HI Laura.
Thank you for your work and the podcast and this program. I really am so grateful to have you in my life every month. Its crazy I tell my husband I have a ‘date with Laura’ when we have calls or I take a walk to listen to the podcast and he askes me regularly ‘how is Laura going?’ yet we live on different sides of the country and have never met in person.
Thank you for creating such a safe space for all of us to learn, grow, fall down, drop the balls and get back up all the while knowing we are loved and supported.
My question is: How do I know if I have chosen the ‘right’ purpose or if I am in a life and job that is wrong for me? What are the signposts? I sometimes question myself as to if I am not living my purpose or if I am just lazy/feeling uncomfortable and scared and looking for an excuse to be lazy.
I LOVE this Q
I can really relate
Often ask myself that same question – am I being lazy? Or am I ignoring the signs?
I think if you are asking yourself if you are being lazy…99% likely you are NOT being lazy
People who like to find excuses never ask if they are being lazy – they recite the excuse over and over and make it sound very real and significant…
Things like:
‘I just don’t have time’
‘I don’t have the qualifications or skills.’
‘I don’t have the confidence.’
‘I don’t have the finance’
‘I don’t know where to start.’
‘Its too much of a risk.’
They are more likely to be hiding laziness and obviously fear
As far as signposts to being off ‘your purpose’.
You will see from this months work
Purpose is yours to choose.
Have you chosen one?
Have you owned what you want to live out loud?
Then there are the signs you are letting go of your values and prioroities which I think are things like:
Compromising yourself…Are you compromising yourself?
Are you compromising your values
Your relationships
Your health
Another sign post to look at is – Does your life feel ‘right’ (not saying does it feel comfortable, or safe or perfect – because it can never be 100% any of them) but when you get quite and still, when you really listen to yourself, does your life feel right despite the hard bits?
For example my marriage feels right, despite the hard bits that come with any 2 people building a life together.
My work feels right despite the challenges of business and integration with family.
Motherhood feels so right despite the mess, noise and never ending caregiving
But for me when I got silent many years ago law didn’t feel right anymore – despite the years of training, of building a career and reputation, despite the salary I earnt, the lifestyle, despite the fun bits of trial and winning and seeing the gratitude and respect in clients faces and gifts….it didn’t feel right despite the equal good and bad bits.
Another sign is to ask yourself…
Is your work costing you your soul?
Is it costing you your identity? Your joy?
Are you confused on a deep level about why any of what you do matters?
Are you betraying yourself – have you had to fold in the edges of yourself, compromise your values so much, you have lost your sense of self?
If I told you that you would be dead in 5 years, what would you stop? Start? Keep doing?
Write down these questions
Answer them
Really sit with them – perhaps one a night
And answer them all.