Answers: What is your mission?
Why Sense of Purpose is Important to Resilience
Sense of Purpose is one’s reason for existence and provides meaning and direction to what one feels, thinks, and does. It is often cited as a key aspect to resilience. Its organizing power comes from the conviction one demonstrates in pursuit of attaining one’s goals that are in support of one’s purpose – taking initiative to make and meet commitments, relying on determination and grit to power through challenges, and accepting responsibility for the consequences of one’s action.
Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose. —Viktor Frankl
Without a Strong Sense of Purpose …
Without a strong, positive Sense of Purpose … you might find yourself effectively rudderless and not in a strong position to refocus if you get off track or to mitigate the impact of adverse events on your life plans. You may also experience on-going feelings of emptiness, dissatisfaction, and unfulfillment that potentially can contribute to heightened anxiety and depression.
Action Planning
If you want to develop your Sense of Purpose further … create a list, based on your own thoughts as well as the input of others, that details your gifts, talents, passions, experiences, and special qualities. With that list of your personal “assets” in mind, ask (and answer), What am I here to do? and why?
Possible Actions – Perceive & Ponder
- Reflect on diverse experiences in your life stories that highlight your gifts, talents, passions, knowledge, skills, and special qualities.
- Consider the ’causes’ or issues that you care about most and that move you to action.
Possible Actions – Engage & Connect
- Seek input from others to affirm your gifts, talents, and special qualities. Seek help from trusted sources (including counselors, pastors, spiritual directors).
- Learn from and be inspired by others applying their gifts/talents and living their purpose (while avoiding unhealthy comparisons).
Possible Actions – Plan & Pursue
- Build on your ‘personal mission statement’ and integrate a statement about your primary purpose into your in different areas of your life.
- Make a plan to further explore and apply your gifts and talents, i.e., volunteering in different areas, using tools or taking a course to further identify your primary purpose.
