How Finding Your Purpose Can Make You Happy

There’s a quote by Dr. Albert Schweitzer that’s worth pondering:

“The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others. “

Think about this for a minute. Finding your purpose becomes a lot easier when you think about it in these terms. What skills and traits do you have that could help others? How could you build your life, your job, or your business around those skills?

But what does all that have to do with making you happy? Taking the time to figure out how you can help others and then doing just that is a powerful thing. We are social creatures and hardwired to help our community. When we make it a daily goal to do just that it’s an incredibly rewarding experience.

Yes, part of it is because we’ll be thanked or recognized for what we’re doing, but that’s only a small part of it. To be perfectly honest, doing good will make you happy even when no one else knows about it. There’s an internal reward built in. We feel good about ourselves. Our self-worth grows and with it our self-esteem.

Or think about it this way. What would make you feel better? Going about your day shuffling papers, answering the phone and putting in the time required at your desk without much to show for at the end of the day? Or would you feel more fulfilled and happier if you knew without a shadow of a doubt that you made a difference in someone’s life today? What if that paperwork you did helped a family find a better place to live? What if those calls you made ensured that a little girl doesn’t go to bed hungry tonight. What if that class you taught helps a young mom stay home with her baby and still contribute to the family income? What if you found your purpose – whatever it may be – and made a real difference in someone’s life with what you do? Wouldn’t that make you feel happier? Wouldn’t that give you a sense of accomplishment?

Spend a little time to figure out what you can do to help those around you. Think about what you could do to serve others and make a difference in their lives. In other words, spend a little time figuring out what your purpose in life is and how it can impact the people whose lives you touch – be it in person, through a book or via the internet. That’s the beauty of the day and age we live in. We can reach and make a difference in the lives of people across the globe.

Stop making excuses and find your purpose, and with it your own happiness.

Do What You Love – Love What You Do

When you get up in the morning you have a choice. You can look forward to the day ahead, or you can dread it. And much of that choice depends on how much you like what you’re getting ready to do for the next 16 hours before it’s time to hit the hay again.

Of course we’re not going to love everything we end up doing during the day (I don’t know many of us that look forward to cleaning the bathroom), but you should be able to find some things to look forward to. And the more of that you can work into your life, the more fulfilled and happy you’ll be.         

Love What You Do For A Living

Is your job something you look forward to, or something you dread? If you’re not having fun and enjoy what you’re doing (most of the time… we all have bad days), it may be time to look into a career change. No amount of money is worth being miserable and it’s hard to enjoy life and love who you are when you hate much of what you’re doing each day. Instead find something you can get behind and be passionate about. Make a living while making a difference and fulfilling your purpose in life.

Do What You Love Around The House

Our home holds special place in our heart. It’s our safe place, where we raise our kids and rest our head at night. It should be a place we enjoy spending time in. It should be a property we are proud to own something we enjoy taking care of. In other words, our home should be our sanctuary.

Take a look around you. What do you love about your home? What don’t you love particularly? What can you do about that? Start small, but start to improve your surroundings. Moving into your dream house overlooking the ocean may not be an option right now, but you can paint your living room walls and hang up a pretty beach painting. Turn your home into a place you love.

Do What You Love – a.k.a. Hobbies

Even if you are in a situation where you can’t do much about your job or your house, there are other ways to incorporate what you love into your day. Find something you enjoy doing. It could be gardening, curling up with a good book, playing golf, photography, knitting… it doesn’t matter what it is as long as it is something you love and enjoy. In other words, find a hobby and make sure you make some time for it in your busy day and week.