Clear the Space
Before diving into this session, take a moment to clear your mind. Whether it’s a nagging thought, a pressing worry, or a simple to-do list item, allow yourself to voice or write down whatever is occupying your mental space. This act of externalizing your thoughts creates room for clarity and focus, enabling you to be fully present in this journey.
Expectations
Reflect on your expectations around this coaching process. Ask yourself:
- Are these expectations aligned with your true desires and purpose?
- Or are they shaped by the needs or perceptions of others?
Understanding your expectations can help you ensure they serve your personal growth and not just external validation.
Happiness Circle
Happiness is often viewed as the ultimate goal, but it’s important to remember that happiness is a feeling that comes from within. Take a moment to consider the various aspects of your life that contribute to your sense of joy and fulfillment. By identifying these factors, you can begin to create a foundation for sustaining inner happiness, independent of external circumstances.
Purpose
Purpose is often misunderstood as a singular task or achievement. Consider the example of a worker bee. At first glance, its purpose seems to be collecting nectar to make honey for the hive. However, in doing so, bees also cross-pollinate flowers, an act essential for ecological balance and biodiversity. Similarly, your purpose might have layers and ripple effects beyond what you initially perceive.
Like dropping a pebble into the ocean, your actions send ripples outward, influencing others in ways you might not immediately recognize. To uncover your purpose, we will explore your values, answer critical questions, and create a personal mission statement that reflects your unique contribution to the world.
Values
Your values are the foundation of your purpose. Reflect on your relationship with yourself and identify six core values from the following list (or any other values that resonate deeply with you):
- Accountability
- Authenticity
- Compassion
- Creativity
- Determination
- Freedom
- Generosity
- Growth
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Kindness
- Learning
- Love
- Patience
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Trust
- Wisdom
The Six Critical Questions
To gain clarity on your purpose, answer the following:
- What is my life about?
- What do I value?
- What do I treasure?
- What is really important to me?
- What do I do in my life that is worthwhile?
- How do I want to be remembered?
Purpose Theme Word
Next, select a purpose theme word that resonates most with what you want to experience in life. Relax, close your eyes, and listen to this list of words as they are read aloud twice. Choose one or two that stand out to you:
Freedom, Love, Joy, Happiness, Growth, Completeness, Abundance, Openness, Commitment, Connection, Balance, Awareness, Light, Wisdom, Peace, Truth
This word will act as an anchor for your purpose, encapsulating the essence of your aspirations and guiding your decisions.
Personal Mission Statement
Using your purpose theme word, your values, and your answers to the critical questions, craft a personal mission statement. This statement should reflect:
- Who you are
- What you believe
- Your core values
- What you strive for in life
For example: “Peace: I strive to live a life rooted in authenticity and compassion, bringing balance and harmony to myself and others through mindful connections and thoughtful actions.”
Your mission statement becomes a touchstone for evaluating your goals and navigating life’s challenges. By aligning your choices with this statement, you create a sense of purpose and direction that simplifies decision-making and fosters personal growth.
Inspiration
Take inspiration from a poem “The Invitation” by Oriah Mountain Dreamer.
It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, ‘Yes.’
It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
Thought-Provoking Question
How would your life change if every decision you made was in alignment with your personal mission statement?
Positive Affirmation
I am clear, focused, and aligned with my true purpose, guided by my values and the unique impact I bring to the world.
