The road to reclaiming your purpose is not an easy one. There can be so many false paths, unexpected emotional climates, and moments of wandering aimlessly. However, is this because we make it more difficult than it was intended to be? When I was teaching a class called First Things First, I was fascinated by a statement in the course material about climbing the ladder of success. It stated that “many people spend their entire life climbing their success ladder only to reach the top and discover that they placed it against the wrong wall”. I believe this happens to many purpose seekers. They set out on their purpose journey with no regard for which direction they should go. Their attitude is "My purpose is out there and I will find it!", but they take no time to consider the best place to start looking.
For those who are reading this without the belief that there is a higher power that is the architect of your purpose, the best advice I can give you about how to start your journey is to spend some quality time seriously considering what you want in life. Consider the kind of relationships, comfort, and security you want. A good exercise is writing your own eulogy. There is something very powerful about putting into words what you envision your legacy to be before your time on Earth is over. This exercise will act as a compass and lead you closer to a life of purpose.
For those of you who do believe in a higher power as the architect of your purpose, I would love to offer you some advice from the Christian perspective that has served me well in my own journey.
The best place to start your quest in finding your purpose is detailed in Matthew 6:33. It is the call to "seek first the kingdom of God." You may be wondering how does that relate to finding your purpose? Well, if you want to find something, you have to first know where to look, right? Wouldn't you agree that if your purpose comes from God that it would be found in His kingdom? Lucky for you, His kingdom is everywhere if you know where to look. The key is to invest time in discovering what God is trying to do in the world. (He has given us obvious resources to do this.) When He begins to reveal His plan as you study, along the way you will begin to have revelations about how your gifts and talents can be used to support His cause. Your purpose will come upon you like a blinding light! At that point, the most difficult thing will be choosing to walk that path.