Determine Your Purpose
Leveraging your strengths ultimately impacts your happiness, and likely, your success in relationships and career. This is a key foundation of Positive Psychology today. Instead of focusing on improving the areas we are poor at, if we focus on getting better at what we do well and/or like, can we have an even bigger impact?
Consider a professional athlete today. Most have some core skills that made them successful in the first place. As they progress over time, a coach determines how to enhance those skills and how to polish the rough edges. A triathlete competes in three demanding, physical activities: running, swimming, and cycling. If you ask them, they will easily identify which they do best, and which is their worst. In this situation, where do they spend their time and effort? Getting a little better in their worst activity, or excelling in their best? And how much effort will it take to truly "move the needle" in each situation?
If you could select a word that best describes and energizes you, what would it be? Why does this word matter to you? We use this to kickoff our Ignite The Light Workshop. Attendees select a smooth rock from a basket, determine their word, and write it on their rock. The rock becomes a remembrance of the words impact on them.
Through the Ignite the Light Workshop, you will have the knowledge and tools to bring forth the best in you so you can make a positive contribution to your loved ones and the world around you. The workshop uses a series of uplifting, thought-provoking exercises, and discussions to help you clarify your purpose and ignite the fire within.
The Signature Sparkle Purpose Model
To identify your unique life purpose and use it in service to the world, we use the Signature Sparkle model. It is a composite of our childhood sparks, gifts, passions, values, and strengths. It will take you through your Purpose Quest: who you are, and what you came to contribute.
Researchers have found that our core personality traits, interests, and passions remain stable throughout our lives beginning in our early childhood (see Tom Rath, Strengthfinder 2.0).
Childhood Sparks
Think back to a time before you were age 10. What did you love to do? What activities energized you? What made you feel truly alive, joyful, and glowing? What kept you absorbed for hours on end?
Gifts
What special abilities were you born with or have a high aptitude for your talents? What were your personality traits, actions, attitudes, and behaviors? What skills did you learn?
Passions
Passion is an intense emotion, a compelling feeling, enthusiasm or desire for something. Passions are the loves of your life, the things that excite you. What are you enthusiastic and excited about? What do you love doing? What interests you?
Strengths
Think back over your life to remember the shining moments when you excelled. What strengths gave you a sense of energy, joy, and enthusiasm? What do you do well (talents and gifts)? What do you love to do (passions)?
Values
Values are your internal compass that tells you what's important to you. They are an expression of your deepest truths. What are the 10 values that are most important to you? Rank them in order of importance. What are the top 5 that you absolutely must honor?
Once you go through these 5 areas, it is time to create a Life Purpose Statement. Think of your gifts and passions, what people/interests would like to spend more time with and impact, and how will you make a difference? To describe your Life Purpose, create a logo using images and/or symbols. Let your Life Purpose Logo guide you.
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