Spiritual D.N.A — How to discover your purpose?
What do you mean?
As a Life Coach, it’s the place I start first, helping people to reflect upon who they are so they can determine what their purpose is. Why? Because if your life is meant to be meaningful, you need to define what “meaning” is to you first.
By answering these questions, it should help you begin to define what your purpose is how you can lead a legacy that makes your life, and potentially the world, better.
What are your three core values?
Values are everywhere, especially in business and schools; they are supposed to be the guidelines by which our principles and policies are formed. They are our spiritual D.N.A. because when we can define them, they help us to grow, develop, function and even reproduce.
It’s a large question, but through my practice, I’ve tried these alternatives to help. So don’t worry if they don’t come to you immediately; try asking yourself one of these alternative questions instead:
- K.S.I. Principle: If you could get a tattoo of three values, what would they be and why?
- If there were three values you’d be willing to die for, what would they be and why?
- During a time of suffering or conflict, what value did you develop or realise you appreciated?
What you should realise is that with enough experience to reflect upon, some of your most challenging moments have helped you to define what these three values are.
He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.
— Friedrich Nietzsche
My purpose is based upon these three values: Purpose, Hope and Service; everything I do and learn is relative to learning and developing my understanding of these three values and how I can improve them. This difference is why the same text can relate to people in different ways. Or why you’ll remember a scene from a movie and be inspired by it when you run into a problem, not knowing why 2mins out of 100 stuck with you for so long, it was because they were meaningful and resonated with your sense of purpose.
No, your purpose is not your job, not your relationship or even your role as a parent or leader. Those are relevant to what motivates and drives your behaviour, it is your core values that define your purpose and anchor your potential; they are your essence and explain why you are you and what you represent; in times of achievement and in times of stress and grief. They are your D.N.A. and knowing them gives you the ability to streamline what you hope to achieve in life while learning how to be the best version of yourself.
“Remember who you are, what you are and who you represent”
— David Rocastle
