“In the dance from Chaos to Clarity, there lies the opportunity to discover the purpose that has been calling to us, softly, persistently, patiently waiting for us to listen.”

Simon Hedley

Our distant ancestors had one daily focus – survival. Over millennia we – as a species – learnt to create and collaborate and build a world that for many could be considered “safe”. Clearly there are still challenges, and people around the world more than you may expect are waking up going how will I survive this day and this week.

They worry about food and water and shelter. They worry about health challenges. They worry about feeling safe. They worry about the survival of those they love.

When there is a large natural disaster or major event, or something significant happens to us or our loved ones – our minds and priorities and tactical purpose becomes clear – albeit it temporarily.

I wanted to start here as I think it’s important to have this grounding and gratitude for those that came before and still do what they do so that we can consider this question of “What is my purpose?”.

It’s also a testament to the journey and evolution we’re on as a species. We have overcome challenges that seemed insurmountable, technologies – inner and outer – have been developed and deployed. More I believe are to come. So, we have to consider the question of purpose in the context of life today as a whole, and its trajectory and our own current state, our past and our potential futures.

I want to underline this point as I do believe that getting clear about what really matters to you is such a vital inquiry – possibly even our life’s purpose. It’s why I wrote the book Chaos To Clarity, to provide tools and distinctions to help people on the journey to clarity of purpose. I say journey as I believe that purpose unfolds and emerges through engagement with life and the world rather than passive isolated contemplation.

You may not see how the dots connect until you look back.

So, we have to start with this mindset and committed to this journey of inquiry and be proactive about it. I’d love to encourage you to embrace the journey and journal.

Primarily as a tool to support you, and also to give you space to notice the progress and insights you gain.

At this point, I’d like to give you some practical steps to take and specifically ask you try on a few “thought experiments”. These are designed to challenge and expand your perspective on your purpose, and seed inquiries in ways I’ve found have helped my clients in their quest for clarity on their purpose.

These thought experiments may trigger you. Talk them through with people you trust and respect in safe space. Journal on them. Be OK that you may not know the answers, or that the answers may shape and evolve over time. They are designed to unlock your creativity and shift your thinking and alignment back towards your purpose.

Take a few minutes and consider The Key Questions of:

• “What legacy would you want to leave if you had only 12 months to live?”
• “What would you do if financial constraints were removed?”
• “What would you do right now if could click your fingers and have one thing magically “transformed”?”

For myself, I always come back to my focus on Making The Difference™. My biggest legacy in the next 12 months would be to help share all the books and ideas that most impact me and the power of asking better questions. If I had unlimited liquid capital, I would fund the charity we founded, Freedom International NOW, and help share all the solutions we have globally, and provide a foundation for enlightened entrepreneurial education. If I could click my fingers, I would want to stop the wars and crime and violence happening globally once and for all, and have people truly commit to collaborating optimally for our wider higher purpose.

As I’ve tried to share above, I’d love you to consider the impact of your purpose beyond your own personal gain. This can be challenging. We all have real needs to meet. I don’t believe any of us are truly “Buddha”, we are human and that’s part of the beauty of being us. Yet there is something profound when we can delve deeper into our motivations.

What if your goals and purpose was truly selfless?

Could you imagine a purpose so powerful and clear that you are happy to follow it and align with it, even if you were to never have any recognition or financial gain?

Does that excited you or challenge you?

What if your core personal needs were handled – really handled in every way that matters to you, then could you imagine such a purpose and how freedom and creative you could be to fulfil it?

One of my incredible strategic alchemy partners always brings me back to the nature of ecosystems and cathedral thinking. It’s worth remembering the real futility of pursuing material wealth as an end goal.

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase “being the richest man in the graveyard isn’t your job”. I think we need to underscore the importance of creating a meaningful legacy over accumulating wealth as a purpose. My guess is if you’re reading this, then you already resonate with it.

It’s challenging though to be with the seeming potential conflicts between – “What is my purpose?”, “What do I think I can complete?”, and “What do I think I want to do?” and “What will earn me the money I want to live the life I want to live?”.

What I want to gift you is the idea that possibly they don’t have to relate – they may – but they don’t have to. There are ways of structuring win win wins, and building ecosystems for yourself and in the world that truly work. However, to do that, you have to the clarity first. Perhaps you’ll have one side of your life that earns the financial rewards, that lets you focus on your purpose on the other side.

For now, let’s focus on exploring your purpose and put aside the other considerations, deal?

I promise you that when you have a big enough clear authentic “Why to”. – in other words, your aligned purposes that you’ve become clear about and freely committed to and chosen. All sorts of resources and opportunities will show up that you never would have imagined.

I do want to honour that there can be a potential conflict between finding one’s purpose and the practicalities of life (such as earning a living). You don’t have to jump from one “safe reality” without a parachute no matter what other “gurus” may suggest. I would suggest wherever you are on the journey to purpose that you consider the practice of “purposeful living” where even seemingly mundane activities are imbued with intention and meaning. Washing the dishes, cleaning your room, brushing your teeth etc. can all have more meaning with a larger context and clearer why. The story of the three stone masons that I included in Chaos To Clarity points at this.

I do believe that the journey to finding one’s purpose is a lifelong adventure that is as unique as the individual embarking on it. It is a path marked by highs and lows, successes, and failures, but above all, it is a path of growth, discovery, and fulfilment.

Make a point of committing time to Pause, Stop and Reset. Take the time to reflect. There is nothing worse than the regret of realising you have been working towards other people’s dreams or that others have swayed your focus from why you are really here.

In time, you’ll know and that is enough, even if you can’t explain it in a pithy seven-word marketing slogan or networking pitch. Remember that the search for purpose is a journey that demands your pro-active engagement, curiosity, patience, and gratitude. It is a path that leads us not only to discover our true selves, but also to make a meaningful contribution to the world around us.

Let this exploration of purpose inspire you to step boldly into the adventure of your life, knowing that each step you take is a step toward a more fulfilled and purposeful existence.

Are you really ready now to let your purpose reveal itself to you in the days and weeks ahead? I hope so, and perhaps the purpose you seek will find you when you allow it and has been waiting for you and supporting you all along.

If you’re inspired a little, set a time in your diary in the next week or so, to re-read this article and then give yourself the gift of a few hours with your journal where you can focus on exploring the thought experiments and see what from a true blank space without judgment starts to emerge.

I wish you all the best on your journey to clarity about your purpose.

Special Gift:

As a special gift for our readers, you can access Simon’s award-winning course www.CustomerAvatars.com at no cost using the special code: GIFTX.