To figure out your “why” you must be willing to put in the effort to seek it. We all have our own “why” and purpose, but the journey to discovering those answers is different for each of us. Start here with these guidelines to find your “why” and what makes you happy and fulfilled with life.
Separate yourself from predisposed notions of what defined happiness
Each person grows up with an idea of what happiness is supposed to be; this influence comes from family, friends, society, school, and sometimes, even strangers. Consequently, we may never stop to think if we actually believe in what has been taught to us all our lives. Since this is the case, it’s imperative to let go of predisposed notions we grew up with and challenge them. We need to look inside ourselves and come to our own conclusions on how happiness is found. Otherwise, we may go through life unconsciously living according to standards that were defined by other people and not ourselves.
Ask yourself: “What do I actually value?”
Our values dictate our thoughts, choices, and actions. Some are inherent while others can never be compromised. Evidently, values help us prioritize what is truly important to us, and at the same time, propel us to strive and work for the future and life we desire in addition to accomplishing our goals. By knowing your values and staying true to them with conviction, you eventually stop settling for anything less than what you truly want.
Learn to be honest with yourself
One of the hardest things to do is be upfront and honest with yourself. No one likes to confront or admit their insecurities, weaknesses, or faults. But doing so is necessary for realizing the emotional limitations that hold you back from growing as a person. Embrace self-awareness and transparency, even though it will hurt and feel embarrassing to be introspective at times.
Intentionally make a note of what makes you happy
Regardless of how big or small a thing that makes you happy may be, take note of it. Speculate why it makes you happy and celebrate it! There’s nothing wrong with constantly reminding yourself of what makes you happy. In a world that is constantly busy, we need to ground ourselves by taking a step back from it to reflect on the present moment and question if the life we’re living right now is fulfilling, or if we’re just going through the motions of routine.
Think back on what made you happy in the past, especially, when you were a child
Things that we cherished in the past or as a child may still have the power to affect us today. Perhaps, going back to what you once knew or enjoyed can give you answers to move forward on the journey to discovering your current “why.” When we were young children, we didn’t care about the opinions of others, possess complex insecurities, or had expectations of ourselves. This is a wonderful quality that children possess: unapologetically attaining what exactly makes them happy without worry of how others perceive them or being affected by doubt – a mindset that should be practiced more often by us adults!
Develop the courage to constantly push past your comfort zones
Only by making ourselves uncomfortable, facing fears, and taking on challenges do we truly grow and become resilient. Over time, constantly pushing past comfort zones and learning from experiences motivates you to overcome obstacles as they come and feel less intimidated by them. For example, some individuals discover their “why” after going through a hardship, such as addiction, by deliberately seeking recovery and spending the rest of their lives trying to sustain sobriety.
At the end of the day, we are the only ones who can answer “what is our why?”. Happiness is such a complex concept, but there is beauty in something that is unique to each individual. Overall, the journey to finding happiness and “why” won’t be easy, but it will be rewarding.
How will you start?
Photo Credit
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Guest Author Bio
Trevor McDonald
Trevor is a freelance content writer and a recovering addict & alcoholic who’s been clean and sober for over 5 years. Since his recovery began, he has enjoyed using his talent for words to help spread treatment resources, addiction awareness, and general health knowledge. In his free time, you can find him working with recovering addicts or outside enjoying about any type of fitness activity imaginable.
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Thank you for your tips on how to find purpose in life. They’re really practical and valuable exercises – especially the reminder to constantly get out of our comfort zones!
We have written an article on finding purpose in life with some examples of personal experiences. You can find it here: http://conscioused.org/wiki/purpose/