What is it? I recently got a question from someone: “You are a coach. Have you ever thought about the new phrase – Authentic Self?” It is something you have to discover for yourself with quiet contemplation, and not amidst the “noise” of everyday living!
There is nothing new about it! It is as ancient as Hindu philosophy. The phrase is just surfacing, considering the worries over one of the contributing factors to the financial meltdown – Greed!
Our focus in life: We are in a room surrounded by mirrors. We let the outside world tell us who we are. We assume we are the many roles we play – employee, mother, father, sibling, child, spouse, and friend. I believe what I am told – I am a success if I get a six-figure salary or if I get a top performance rating, and I am a failure if I lose my job. I basically let the world tell me if I am a success or a failure. Our imagined happiness is dictated by others. We lose ourselves in this externally focused world, further complicated by the ever present media!
Who are we? Has it ever occured to us to sit quietly for a few minutes to know our true nature? What is our purpose? What core values inspire us? Our unhappiness and sense of deficiency arise out of living “without this purpose” and being in an environment that conflicts with our value system and that constantly points out to us “how limited we are.” Do we even recognize how limitless our Mind can be? True happiness comes from a sense of being complete – not from a sense of lack, which inspires us to go after goals like money, cars, and houses.
Living your purpose is the yardstick for your success: I remember how complete I felt working for a small visiting nurse agency where the mission was to help home-bound patients. I woke up every morning wondering, “ how can I help the amazing nurses who did not hesitate to use personal time and money to put a smile on the patient’s face?” Finding and living your purpose does not mean that you live in poverty – it means that you enrich your life with purpose and passion, and money just follows. Such wealth is permanent and satisfying.
I decided to create a program, Personal Development Mastermind – Map your Career to your Purpose©, for people to evaluate who they think they are and who they truly are – bridging the gap is our purpose.