Throughout my life I have had many jobs. I have been a counselor at Girl Scout Camp. I have played a fairy tale character at a theme park. I have been the "program girl" for a local baseball team, I have been a clinical director, a resource navigator, and a college professor to literally name just a few. I feel like there is not much I haven't done. I have even worked in retail and been a waitress! Despite what job I was doing, it never took me long to realize that I wasn't happy if the thing I was doing was not directly related to my purpose--helping others to find happiness.
Here is the cool thing about my purpose. There are many outlets I can utilize to fulfill my passion. For example, working in retail and being a waitress allowed me to make many people happy in a short shift. I had the opportunity to add that little Chrissy touch to everyone I met.
I always try to remember that we have no idea what is going on in someone's life at any given moment. I would try to make it my personal mission to make every single one of those people's lives a little bit better. Any time I had a job that allowed me this was a job that made me happy. I had one job for several years where I spent the bulk of my shift completely alone. The pay was great, but I was never more miserable in my life. Why? Because I wasn't fulfilling my purpose!
Currently, I have loads of opportunities to help others find happiness. I am an author, a teacher, and a motivational speaker. I even teach a whole semester long class on happiness (we call it Positive Psychology). I even have a TV show on the campus television network. And, professionally, I am very fulfilled.
I do, however, worry about you all, my readers. Are you fulfilled? Have you discovered your purpose? If you have not yet figured out what makes your heart sing, I would like to offer a few strategies to help!
What do you love to do? What are the activities that you are always excited to participate in? What are you naturally good at? Think about the last time you felt blissfully happy. What was going on in that moment. Really take the time to relive the experience and jot down some notes. What you find may surprise you.
When you tell people about yourself, what do you like to say? What are the first things you share? If you aren't sure, think about the last time you met someone new, maybe professionally or at church, or at an event. What were the first things you talked about? Perhaps more importantly, how did you feel about each of the things that you divulged? Again, truly try to relive the experience and jot down some notes.
Take some time for yourself to really process what you have learned and discovered. Take a "me day" to reflect, relax and again, experience what is making you happy. Pay attention to what you are doing and what is making you smile. Recall when you are feeling the most joy.
These three simple steps, can help you discover you purpose in life. The next step is to figure out how to incorporate this purpose and passion into your life in a way that works best for you and your family. It may not necessarily mean a new job, although it could, It could simply mean a new perspective on the job you currently have or on your life in general.
Pursuing your life passions will transform your life and make you a happier person. I know because I lived it! I hope you try this and learn for yourself how to infuse more joy through purpose and passion.
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