What Is Your Life’s Purpose?

There are particular days during each year that cause me to reflect more than most days. Those days include the winding down to New Year’s Eve, which offers the perfect opportunity to be introspective and do some self-evaluation about what I’ve experienced that year, how I’ve grown as a result, how much deeper I have come to know myself and, hopefully, how much better my natural habits have progressed. Birthdays are catalysts for me in the very same way. My birthday is in the summer, so I gladly take these important times in my life to gain a deeper understanding of my achievements and lessons learned and yet to be learned, in order to appreciate my deeper purpose.

I was just thinking about my experience in 4-H as a young farm girl. I was quite an animal lover, so I enjoyed 4-H Club immensely. I participated in 4-H for horses and for rabbits — yes, rabbits! I took care of them when they were sick, cleaned up after them (that’s a heftier task when it comes to horses!), fed them twice daily and prepared them for the 4-H shows in the hopes of winning ribbons. It required devotion, commitment, respect, time, energy and focus. These simple tasks in and of themselves didn’t feel like great accomplishments at the time, yet I now realize that they subconsciously instilled the belief system that each and every thing we think, say and do really does make a difference in this world. That is the basis for a good work ethic. Even the 4-H Pledge taught me so much about life and how to remember to treat myself and others:

I pledge my head to clearer thinking,
My heart to greater loyalty,
My hands to larger service,
And my health to better living,
For my club, my community, my country and my world.

The beliefs we choose to maintain mold our lives. Our acting ability at any given moment is only as good as our understanding of who we are as individuals with unique life histories and experiences. This is further realized the more we commit to the preparation through studying our craft. What is your life’s purpose? Simply put, it is the intention you place on discovering the deepest you, and that takes a lifetime. Enjoy the process!