The really big question.
We all want to know why we’re here. What is our purpose? It’s the question that makes us human and why we have art, music, and literature striving to answer this question. But how do we find this purpose? Is it something we craft or are we born with it? I’ll take you through my personal soul purpose journey and the 5 steps you can take to find yours.
Before we go any further, this how to is based off of my experience. This is not meant to substitute for legal, medical, or any other professional advice.
Step back a year and a half in my time machine...
2016 was the hardest and best year of my life…as most things go, it started with the hard part. My father was hospitalized for months due to a sudden and chronic illness, my 4 year relationship ended, and I was in a car accident. Yikes, right?
This left me lost, confused, and filled with existential dread. I was reminded life is short and can end at anytime. What am I doing? Why am I here? I moved to a new city and lived alone for the first time in my life so I could hear better.
This was my alarm clock and why it became the best year (in addition to meeting my partner, of course). I did some deep searching for the clarity I knew was in there somewhere. I got quiet and listened. I didn’t yet know what I was listening for though!
It came to me....in a cheap hotel room.
For my 9-5 job in higher education, I went to a staff retreat where we were working on rebranding our organization. We were collectively assigning meaning to who we were and what our purpose was as a group. After the exercise, I went back to my hotel room and picked up that cheesy pad of paper and pen by the bed and thought “I’m going to rebrand myself.”
God that sounds so corporate.
I sat on the stiff, confetti patterned couch and closed my eyes. I wasn’t expecting a lightning bolt realization but boy did I get one.
I wrote, “My purpose is to empower people to reconnect with their authentic selves.”
BOOM. It may not sound that specific or impressive, but I felt a jolt of adrenaline rush through me. I defined my purpose. Why I’m on Earth. Crazy!
I realized, my whole life, I had been circling around this meaning. Trying so many different paths, looking for roads that I thought I was supposed to go down while ignoring the little voice inside me that was trying to scream at me USE YOUR GIFTS.
Now, I recognize that this little voice was my authentic self. The one who told me to pick up my divination cards when I was twelve. The one who wanted to major in psychology but listened to society and tried to major in the sciences instead. The one who friends would always come to when they needed something. The one who had an unofficial Swiss flag above her office door. The one who helped remind people you have something to give. It was there all along!
In my hotel room I put down the pen and basked in this new realization. This glow didn’t last long though because I knew I had to get to work!
Gotta be starting something.
I knew I had to find a way to live out my purpose NOW. This electricity was here and wasn’t going anywhere.
I was reading at New Renaissance Books in Portland, reading for friends and strangers constantly. My 15 years of reader experience and study into divination were paying off. Although I had all this expertise and attended countless conferences, I never thought I could read cards for a living! That’s just what I love to do and work isn’t fun, right?
Because I was tuned in to my authentic self and had great people in my corner, I listened to that little voice that crescendoed to a full roar.
In no other space do I get to see A-HA moments on a regular basis. I think of those A-HAs as my clients reuniting with their authentic selves. What better way to live out my purpose?
My clients, family (especially my mom), friends, and colleagues encouraged and supported me in launching my business. They were seeing the real benefits of my readings and pushed me to share them with the world. I've always wanted to start my own business but never felt like the moment was right.
Finally, my moment was here.
My years of professional experience in combination with my tarot/business mentors and immense research gave me the tools I needed to take the leap and do it. So I did. Now, my job is to help you find you reconnect to your authentic self and help you define and refine your purpose.
So what does Authentic Self and Purpose really mean, anyway?
Remember that little kid inside us who wanted to go to the moon, dance crazy with rainbow toe socks on, or build the best pillow fort on the planet? Little kids are pure and raw – they aren’t yet boxed in by societal pressures. We are so ambitious as little kids! We don’t care if it seems impossible to become president, or become the world’s top fashion designer when we’re little! We have this boundless curiosity for what fascinates us. I like to think of our authentic self as this little kid.
Our purpose is that little kid inside us paired with our skills, expertise, and knowledge we have gained throughout our life. Where do these areas overlap?
As an example, my authentic self loves to have long, deep conversations, create art, music, and writing, and be fiercely independent and strong. Some of my skills are in listening, taking complex material and translating it into something simple, and being resourceful and creative. Side note: so glad this post is about what we’re good at so I don’t have to list my flaws! Reading tarot/divining and starting my own business fits all these skill! When I work on my business, I feel electric. Alive. That's the overlap.
When we’re disconnected from our authentic selves and trying to make decisions, it’s like we’re throwing darts in the dark. Let’s hope we don’t hit anyone! When we don’t have a target to aim it, it’s hard to make decisions that will be positive for us in the long run. Sometimes we get lucky and stumble in to something great. But often times, we’re in the wrong job or relationship or friendship long past their expiration date. It sounds harsh but we’re only on the planet for so long – let’s use the time wisely.
That sounds like me...I don't know what I'm aiming at!
How to find your soul purpose.
Step 1: Get quiet. Meditate. Go to yoga. Go on a walk. Get a divination reading. Get a pedicure. Whatever you do to treat yourself and feel like yourself, do it. Just make sure you're alone or at least left with your thoughts.
Step 2: Write it down. What do you love to do? Don’t think about what you’re supposed to love, just think about what you do LOVE doing. I like to use the voice recorder on my phone too!
Step 3: Brainstorm. Are you doing these things on a daily/regular basis? For example, mine was empowering people to reconnect to their authentic selves. How can you do more of this? I thought: volunteer with kids, do more readings, etc. Don’t hold back!
Step 4: Do those things. It doesn’t matter how big or small. Doing these things feed your soul so just do it! If your purpose is to “lead my community to build a happier society” start getting involved in politics or just at your library or try to take on a leadership role at work.
Step 5: Start Plotting. Want to make your life about the things you love? Begin to plot all your different routes to live your purpose. Not all paths will work and that’s okay! If you are in pursuit of your purpose, you will learn from each experience and apply this expertise to your next adventure.
Since humans change, so do our purposes! Expect it to evolve and change over time.
Have no clue where to start? Start with: What do you have to give? Volunteer.
I’m here too. After all, my purpose is to help you find yours! Readings help accelerate this process as the cards tap into your authentic self right away. You can always get a Free Consultation to see what it's all about.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you know your soul purpose? Do you have an A-HA moment to share? Let me know what you think in the comments, below.