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Shifting or Drifting?

#emotionalintelligence #eqfit #purpose May 22, 2023

Purpose. If I asked you to put in one sentence the overarching purpose for your life, what would you say? Is that an easy question or difficult question to answer?

Shifting or Drifting

Purpose is the reason we do things. It is the WHY behind our decisions and actions.

Without a clear purpose, you may find yourself drifting through life. With a clear purpose, we can have direction. We can shift direction if that would be beneficial.

Purpose is an important part of self-direction. If you do not have purpose, then it is very difficult to set a direction that will get you where you want to go.

Think of purpose as your compass. A compass is designed to help guide us on our journey no matter where we find ourselves. Having a good compass ensures that we can at least know what direction we are going. Even better, with a compass and a map, we can determine our pathway to get where we want to go. A good compass keeps us on track and reduces detours and wasted time, energy, and focus.

Today's reality

I am seeing more and more people struggling with their sense of purpose today than ever before. Some of that may be due to the massive changes in the last few years, and some of that may be all of the noise in our world today. People who have been very focused on their life purpose now find themselves drifting, driven by whatever the current circumstances they are experiencing. I see this impacting their life, their work, and their relationships. People who used to have strong focus now frequently make mistakes and poor decisions that negatively impact themselves and others. Time, energy, focus, three of our most important resources, are being drained away into non-productive activities because clarity of purpose is lacking. Clarity of purpose are the "guard rails" we put up in our life to ensure we function with intentionality to achieve quality results.

Why is this happening? Here are some statistics that may help to answer that question (numbers in the U.S.):

  • Emotional distress is up 300%
  • Almost 60% of people feel "a lot" of stress every day
  • 2/3 of people self-identify as lonely
  • Over 30 million people have left their workplace to find something better
  • EQ (emotional intelligence) is declining world wide, with the ability to navigate emotions being the greatest decline in EQ competencies

Just when we need EQ the most, it is on the decline. We live in a world of increasing complexity. Everywhere we look we see division and hate, promoted by industries and politicians who use this for their gain. No wonder stress levels are at all time highs!

Finding your purpose

You may have a clear overarching purpose for your life. If so, good for you! You may reflect on it from time to time to ensure that it is serving you well. Does it give you a good standard you can hold your decision up to? Does it help you to be intentional and give you good direction?

If your overarching purpose is unclear, or if you feel it is not working well for you, here are some things to consider:

  • What is it that you are passionate about?

  • What motivates you and gives you energy?

  • What impact do you want to have on the world and the people around you?

  • Do you need to let go of things you are holding onto because they are holding you back?

We all experience failure, betrayal, harm from others, roadblocks in our lives. What we do with those is what is important!

Sometimes we have to go through difficult things to find our true purpose. Things that while painful and discouraging, put us through a crucible that refines us, and brings us to a better place. I do not define myself as a failure, but I have failed. I do not define myself as a loser, but I have lost. I do not define myself as a victim, but I have been a victim of someone else's hurtful decisions and actions. How we choose to see ourselves and our place in the world impacts our overarching purpose.

Reflect

What life experiences have you had that have impacted your purpose? Is your purpose bigger than yourself? Is it something you are passionate about?

This EQ skill/competency impacts all of the others. It is the WHY behind your decisions and actions. Here is a quote from Six Seconds:

"Pursuing a Noble Goal facilitates integrity and ethical behavior, which helps you maintain focus, inspire others, and access your full power and potential."

All of that sounds good doesn't it? That can be you!

When you feel adrift, what do you think about to find your best path forward? Reach for your compass, your overarching purpose, to guide you back to where you want to be.

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 Copyright © 2023 EQFIT® - Author: Steven Goodner. All rights reserved. No portion of this material may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact: [email protected].

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