What's your purpose?

Do you know what your calling is?

Your purpose?

What God created you and only you to do?

I think there are two levels of purpose:

1. Enjoy God by loving him.

2. Discover our gifts and offer them to the world.

This is the alternative to climbing the ladder of “success." Good stewardship is unearthing our unique talents, developing them, and giving back.

Without this, we wouldn’t have the people we need to live a prosperous and healthy life. Of course, this is perverted in a dog-eat-dog world.

But what if the frame was this:

• You don’t need external things to show your worth.

• You have a uniqueness that no other person has.

• The world needs who you are.

Success = trap
Stewardship = freedom

If you haven’t read this post, please check it out. When our identity is healthy, everything changes.

It’s not by accident you are who you are—your abilities, gifts, and talents.

In belief, there are two choices:

1. Everything happens by chance; it’s random.

2. There is a creator who created all things good.

This is a worldview.

My worldview is #2. I’ve found the most significant security, peace, and joy through that worldview.

If #2 is correct and you and I were created with a purpose, then I believe it’s up to us to discover that purpose.

It’s not to make money.
It’s not to buy a sick house.
It’s not to buy a Rolex or Rolls Royce.

Again, those aren’t inherently wrong. It’s what we make of them that’s wrong. We make those things our gods.

Your purpose is unique but up to you to discover.

How?

I think it’s relatively simple (not easy).

What is your life saying?

What are your talents, gifts, and skills?
What serves and benefits others?
What do you love talking about?
What can you lose yourself in?
What do you love doing?
What are you good at?
What is natural?

There is no failure in this. It is a molding process.

Missy (my wife) is developing her artistic gift as a potter. It’s a dirty, messy process, but in the end, something beautiful comes from it. It’s not uncommon for a piece to get destroyed.

Discovering purpose is the same. It’s a dirty, messy, and beautiful process.

This is foundational for Good Stewardship. If my talents and gifts were given, that is for a purpose.

Those talents and gifts are in two parts:

1. What fulfills me and gives me enjoyment.

2. Contributes and helps others.

We get out of our lane when we’re too busy chasing what we should be doing and don’t listen to what our life says.

I know that sounds philosophical.

What fills up your soul? I guarantee it’s not running around ragged or even making another million.

It’s the small, often intangible things. It’s subtle. It’s the playful things. It’s the natural thing. There is no sense of striving in it.

For example, I love ideas, talking about ideas, and exploring ideas. I love learning. I can get lost in discussing and exploring ideas for hours.

That’s my “life speaking.”

I also love learning; I love strategy and putting things together. I love getting to know people and finding out what’s unique about them.

These are all things I’ve naturally done for as long as I can remember.

That’s my “life speaking.”

In a second, I’ll explain how to intentionally discover “your thing,” but take a minute to think back.

This is where we can finally unmask ourselves.
This is where authentic living is.

What stands out for you so far?

Getting Awareness and Developing Your Purpose.

1. Sit down with a piece of paper and think about this:

   Has there been a moment where you felt this was what I was supposed to do? Can you point to anything and say, “I’m created to do that.” Or, maybe friends and family have said, “You’re really good at that.”

   If not, no worries. Remember, discovering your purpose is an unearthing process.
   
   It does require something of you. Movement. Exploration.
   

2. Take the Strengthsfinder assessment from Gallup.

   Within a few minutes, you’ll know what your top talents are. It’s easy, and there is logical science behind the process.
   

3. Cultivate your talents daily.

   When you get awareness through thinking time or StrengthsFinder (or both), it’s up to you to be intentional about development.
   

4. Aim your gifts well.

   After discovering your talents, you develop them and then aim for them. Meaning, who needs what I have?

In the Information Age, we’re blessed because we can get paid for this value contribution.

So for me, some of my top strengths are:

Ideation, intellectualization, strategy, and learning are my passions. They’re also my top strengths. Looking back, that’s so much of what I’ve done naturally, and those have been MAJOR contributors to growing my businesses and impacting others.

Here’s what I love about this.

We spend so much of our lives comparing ourselves to others. When we truly grasp our unique identity and purpose, it nullifies all that.

Why?

God created you with intention.

To wrap this up, identity is who you are, and purpose is what you do. And the reason you do it isn’t because you need to “be somebody;” it’s because it serves others.

BTW, we can apply this to your organization—same thing.

Tada and much love,

Chris

When you’re ready:

1. Grab my book, which is already impacting Founders deeply.

2. Not taking clients right now. But get on my waitlist (by responding to this email).