What do you stand for? — 3 questions to help you find your purpose.

Lessons inspired by Colin Kaepernick

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind. — Bernard M. Baruch

Want to find your purpose? Examine others living purpose driven lives. You don’t have to agree with Kaepernick to learn from him. Regardless of your beliefs, his actions give us a vivid picture of what a man of purpose looks like.

Much has been made of the Colin Kaepernick kneeling “controversy”. Last August, he opted to kneel during the National Anthem of a preseason NFL game. He made the decision after deep deliberation to protest the oppression of black people and people of color. The protest came after several acts of police brutality where young black men were murdered by police. He did so knowing the potential personal consequences:

“I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. … If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right.” — Colin Kaepernick

Looking a bit deeper into Kaepernick’s decision can help you find your purpose too. Here are three questions to ask yourself:

1. What are you willing to give it all up for?

Kaepernick selflessly stood (or in this case knelt) to give a voice to people who don’t have one. He lost one of the greatest jobs in this country for it. This is a man who knows who he is. This is a man tuned in to a higher purpose.

Think about all the physical comforts that you desire. Perhaps you want a bigger house, a new car or lavish vacations. Maybe it is something far more modest. Regardless, we all have physical desires. Imagine one day acquiring all of these things.

Now consider, what you would be willing to give it all up for? Perhaps it seems like there is nothing, that you would be content. But, as I discovered along my recent spiritual journey, we all desire deeper meaning. Search inside for something you’d be willing to give it all up for. Find that answer, and you will be headed directly towards your life’s purpose.

2. Where does your courage come from?

Imagine the fear that most of us would feel if we were to go against our company, our industry, and our country and do it on national television. Kaepernick must have felt some of this fear. It didn’t stop him. He had the courage of his convictions to help him overcome it.

Think about a time when you were unafraid. Perhaps you spoke up to someone or some group of people that would typically frighten you. Maybe you made a decision to pursue something that seemed to defy all that you previously knew to be true. Or, maybe you risked physical or emotional danger knowingly for a cause.

When we pursue our purpose, we lose our fear. When we are connected to something higher than ourselves, fear becomes irrelevant. When we intuitively know what is right, we know our fear is wrong. Pinpoint where this courage comes from and chances are, your purpose is not far behind.

3. What does your heart say?

Kaepernick has given millions and raised millions for important causes. He is a heart-led leader who doesn’t ignore the deep intelligence that lives in our heart. In a previous post, I mentioned that the heart actually contains 40,000 neurons that can sense, feel, learn and remember. There is power there and Kaepernick is tapping into it.

Think about what calls to you deep within your soul. What have you allowed your mind to talk you out of, even though you knew it deep down to be true?You probably heard it in the shower, maybe on a long drive or while taking a relaxing walk. What bubbles up when your mind takes a break?

We spend a lot of time listening to what our mind has to say. But it is our heart that has all the answers. What speeds your heart up, fills your heart with joy or makes it skip a beat? Or maybe you feel another’s pain and know that you can help. Follow your heart, find your purpose.

Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart. — Rumi

The world is filled with people telling us what they are against. It is each of our missions to know what we stand for. Everyone of us is here for something bigger than ourselves.

The pain and loneliness we feel is a disconnection from that purpose. While some will criticize Kaepernick and disagree with his statement, he had no choice. He followed what his heart told him and had the courage to risk his own livelihood. That is a man who lives with purpose, and from that, there is no going back.

Read more about my personal journey to purpose — Lost on Purpose

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