For the final piece of 2011 from JOE’s Life Coach John McNamara is, he’s drilling down to the core: what were you meant to do with your life? And why aren’t you doing it?
As this is my final piece for 2011, I’m going to look at one of the most important areas there is. Your life purpose. It is referred to as many things by many people, from your Core Desires, to being in your element, in the zone or what I like to refer to as… Doing the shit you were born to do!!
We are all born with amazing gifts and talents within us, yet for most, we choose to ignore these for a life of mediocrity. Leaving these talents and passions latent is one of the world’s greatest crimes.
A question I am often as asked is…
“Can you motivate me, John?”
No, I can’t. Motivation is an internal resource we all possess. People can inspire you or get you moving the right direction with plenty of clarity, but long term motivation must come from within. Start following your heartfelt passions in life and it is like turning on a tap. You will have new found levels of motivation, energy, confidence and curiosity. When I am in flow with writing and coaching I can work 16 hours without as much as a yawn, and have been so engrossed at times I have even forgotten to eat.
You will not find this punching the hours in a job you hate for a company who could pull the plug at any time. This well inside you will remain unutilised as you remain unfulfilled, playing it safe and ignoring the internal urge and feeling pushing toward your true purpose in life.
I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is I can’t find anybody who can tell me what they want – Mark Twain
Following your true passions in life can be quite daunting and will involve a lot of people telling you that you’re crazy. The knockbacks will be aplenty and you will find plenty of people who will say “NO”.
I could tell you otherwise but the big bad world can be a tough place. For many this is where they give up and find plenty of internal justifications for doing so. If everyone did this then we would not have the pleasure of the works of JK Rowling, Paolo Coelho, the Beatles, Lionel Messi or Bill Gates.
Being sent to a mental institution and given shock treatment, being refused by over 100 publishers, having to take growth hormones pills or being told point blank they we’re crazy was not enough to enough to deter these individuals from following their passions. The world is a better place as a result.
In all my reading about, interviews with and watching of those who are the pinnacle of their professions, I have yet to come across one who was not doing what they truly loved. Modern society and the youth pop culture has a fascination with “fame” and “success”. The trouble, however, for these people is that they have the order in reverse. Success, money and recognition are the by-products of throwing yourself unashamedly into the pursuit of what you love.
Ayrton Senna didn’t set out to become a millionaire, worldwide superstar and national icon in Brazil. He just knew he was born to drive cars as fast as he possibly could. He paid the ultimate price, but if you gave him the chance to have his time over again, would he choose to play it safe and live until he was 70 working in the local supermarket, or follow his passion again in F1? Which do you think he would choose. Damn sure he’d be behind the wheel in a heartbeat.
When you are fitted in a racing car and you race to win, second or third place is not enough – Ayrton Senna
By now I’m sure plenty of you are beginning to wonder, how the heck do I find my life’s purpose. For many of us we know already, but we deny it or lie to ourselves that it is a crazy idea or not realistic. For those of you who don’t, start asking yourself these three questions. Keep repeating questions 2 & 3 to really dig below the surface on this:
- What do I really want from life?
- If I had that, how would it make me really feel?
- What would that give me that I don’t already have?
As mentioned earlier, this is my last piece for JOE for a bit. You can join me on Facebook or Linkedin to keep up to date on all things coaching and personal development. I will leave you for now with my favourite line, from one of my favourite movies, Dead Poets Society:
“Then when he came to die, he realised that he had not lived at all.”
You can contact me for a consultation or to book further coaching sessions on + 353 863919952 or [email protected]
For more information on this article or to book a FREE consultation with John McNamara, call or email him today at +353 86 3919952 or [email protected]. You can also visit his website, or connect on LinkedIn or Facebook.
