When the word “Purpose” was mentioned I would get the hibby gibbies, I had no idea what people meant. It is at crossroads I asked myself the question “Who am I and what is my purpose? It culminated with an 11 year search with rocky roads, highways and byways to settle the answers.
Purpose is defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as
- a : something set up as an object or end to be attained : intention b : resolution, determination
- 2 : a subject under discussion or an action in course of execution
ON PURPOSE
- : by intent : intentionally
I like keeping it simple, what is Purpose? The answer lies in a first question “why do you do what you do?” Contrary to popular belief purpose is not some cataclysmic event that comes from the sky and hits you like a bolt of lightning. Purpose is born in you. You are a solution to a human problem. Whether you are a housewife, artist, cake maker, businesswoman selling clothes or lingerie, doctor, hairdresser, business consultant, coach or an author, you solve a problem. It is interesting though, for some it’s not what you got educated for.
Purpose is born out of a passion or compassion pain that moves you to solve that problem. One cannot preach what they have not conquered!! Your purpose therefore is no less than mine, our demographic, influence and geographical area is the only variant. Examples include Martin Luther King to the civil rights movement in the USA; Harriet Tubman one of my heroes; freeing slaves, President Mangufuli to Tanzania and me to the women and men who have experienced abuse or a mental health illness especially in the black community in the UK for now.
I settled my identity by research on my family first by talking to my parents and grandmother. I then embarked on understanding our culture and tradition as Gikuyu through reading Facing Mount Kenya and my brother and sister’s wedding videos. Alongside this process my line manager Dr. Samuel Annor mentored me in leadership. I remember our first conversation, “you have great leadership and mentoring skills, you need to learn to delegate and manage your temper”. I laughed because I never saw myself as a leader. He complimented my ability to build and encourage my staff to grow in their profession leading to all my staff either getting promoted or changing careers. In your purpose you are a leader and a leaders responsibility you have to improve what is given to you.
I was unconsciously a Teacher, Mentor and Coach. It is in one of the facebook groups I participate in I understood the difference between personal growth and personal development. Personal growth is the transformational process of your person in my case through settling my identity, bible study as I chose to be Christian, growing my spirit and birthing a better character. Personal development has to do with your gift(s), skills and knowledge and investing in enhancing your performance. This group is led by Florence Ukapbi called She Flourishes.
I started pouring out my knowledge and developing online courses and workbooks to help others. I purposefully revisited my footprint. My gift is uplifting others in pain that is what I was born to do it and it is so much part of me, that I started coaching even the ASDA staff who wanted out of the low paid jobs. A series of mishaps and events pooled things together and it is now I understand some experiences in every sphere of my life bringing me to this moment, I love to help people who have pain, rejected or want better for their life. I walked it and I talked it – Listen to yourself.
As one you join the business world, one is inundated with “the How To Do Syndrome”. I grimace at my inbox and unsubscribed to a lot of information that is mind boggling. Some of which I don’t ascribe to 113 ways to be happy, 5 ways to make a six figure salary overnight or 10 ways to keep your relationship? I identified who I would follow, simple reason, you got to see what you want to achieve. I learnt by several mistakes not follow one guru. I also concluded we know much more than we credit ourselves for and need to apply a little investment to learn with the right teachers.
I have met people who feel like they have been left out because they don’t know their purpose. If you keep it simple to the problem you resolve for others you are good.
Always do what you are doing guided by principle many have found purpose, the method just varies.