So one day I was eavesdropping. Yes, I know. We are not supposed to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations, but sometimes you just happen to hear things. And I heard someone say to another person, “You have to walk in your purpose.” The other person said, “Yes, you do.” They both seemed to understand exactly what they were talking about. I did not.
I remember thinking, What exactly does it mean to walk in your purpose? Maybe they knew something I didn’t know. Maybe they had figured out their purpose. Maybe they knew exactly where they were going, what they were supposed to be doing and how every step they took connected to that purpose. Or maybe they were just having one of those conversations where we say things that sound good because we have heard them so many times. I don’t know. But the conversation stayed with me. Because to this day, I am not sure what it means to actually walk in your purpose. Actually, as I said in an older blog, I’m not even sure what my purpose is. And maybe that is the part that bothers me.
We hear so much about purpose. Find your purpose. Know your purpose. Walk in your purpose. Live in your purpose.
It can sometimes sound as if everyone else has received the instruction manual and I somehow missed mine. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever looked at someone and thought, They seem to know exactly what they are supposed to be doing with their life?
Meanwhile, you are just trying to get through the day, make the right decisions, take care of the people you love, do your work, pay your bills, figure things out and hopefully get a little sleep. And then someone asks, “Are you walking in your purpose?”
Well…
Am I?
I don’t know.
Maybe purpose isn’t always as obvious as we make it sound. Maybe it isn’t always a big thing. Maybe it isn’t necessarily a particular job, title, business, ministry or accomplishment. Maybe purpose can be found in the things we do every day that don’t necessarily look important to anyone else. Maybe it is in how we treat people. Maybe it is in raising our children. Maybe it is in encouraging someone when they need it. Maybe it is in creating something. Maybe it is in teaching. Maybe it is in serving. Maybe it is in simply being present when somebody needs you. And maybe purpose changes as we change. Because the things that mattered to me twenty years ago aren’t necessarily the things that matter to me now.
The person I was then isn’t the person I am today. So perhaps my purpose doesn’t have to look exactly the same either. I wonder sometimes if we put too much pressure on ourselves to find purpose, when perhaps we should spend a little more time noticing what gives our lives meaning.
What keeps pulling at us?
What do we keep coming back to?
What do we care about even when nobody is paying us to care?
What experiences have shaped us?
What are the things that make us say, “This matters to me”?
Maybe those questions are worth sitting with. And perhaps walking in your purpose doesn’t mean that you have everything figured out. Maybe it means taking the next step with what you know right now. Then taking another step when you know a little more. Maybe purpose is something we discover while walking, rather than something we must completely understand before we start.
I don’t know. I’m still figuring it out. And maybe that is okay. So, what about you? Have you figured out your purpose? And if you have, how do you know?
What does walking in your purpose actually look like in your everyday life? Or, like me, are you still trying to figure it out? Maybe we don’t all have to have the answer. Maybe sometimes we just need to keep walking.
Until next time; See you soon! Join me again next Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. (Bogotá time) for another reflection on life, faith, growth, and the lessons we learn along the way. If this week’s reflection encouraged you, there are many more thoughtful reflections in my book, “Thoughts on Life”, now available.
Before you go, I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below. Share your thoughts with someone who might be asking the same questions. Every perspective is valuable, and your insights often help me see things in a completely different way. If you’re not comfortable commenting publicly, feel free to reach out to me through any medium. I’d love to hear from you.
Your feedback not only encourages me, but it may also inspire a future blog and help someone else who reads it. You never know how your words might make a difference.
Remember, life is meant to be lived, so always strive to live your best life.
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