Previous Questions answered by Ann and Brad Swift

1. I know my life purpose but what is stopping me from taking action?
2. I have great resources but don't know what it is I actually want to do.
3. Where should I steer my focus so that my purpose may show itself?
4. I want to know what career path to pursue, that fits my purpose.
5. I do not understand: why did I come on Earth?
6. Having a life purpose seems to conflict with spiritual detachment.
7. Is it fear or laziness that stops me from taking action?
8. I don't know what my purpose is nor do I find any jobs interesting.

You would think that some who really had the passion and determination to materilze their dream would be taking action but I feel stuck and i tend to procratsinate and avoid every opportunity I have to live out my life purpose. It's just total insanity. Is it fear, is it just pure laziness? What is stopping me from taking action, from dedicating more time and energy into the one thing I love so much? Can you help?

Brad Swift:
Thank you for your question - "Is it fear, is it just pure laziness? What is stopping me from taking action, from dedicating more time and energy into the one thing I love so much?"

I can really feel your frustration and angst in your message. So, let's see what I can provide to start to 'unstick' you and provide you access to a greater degree of freedom to pursue your passion.

To begin, real briefly, let me make a distinction regarding life purpose. While most of our culture views a life purpose as what we're here to 'DO' (sing, dance, coach, doctoring, healing, etc.) the Life On Purpose Perspective offers a different view -- your life purpose is who you are as a spiritual being and what you came here to be and to experience. Your life purpose is the context of BEING that you pour your life of DOING into, so who you are begins to shape what you do, and what you do becomes ways in which you express your life purpose. (more info on this in links below)

With that in mind, please consider this second distinction. We all have not one but two life purposes. In other words, we have two primary life shaping forces in our lives and each of them is distinct to ourselves. We have our true, or as I like to refer to it, our Divinely Inspired Life Purpose, and we have our Inherited Purpose. Both can be powerful shaping forces in our life, and when our lives are being shaped by the Inherited Purpose, it prevents us from either knowing our true purpose or it acts as a master saboteur undermining our life purpose.

And you're right on when you suspect that FEAR may be playing a big part in your dilemma. You see, our Divinely Inspired Life Purpose arises from and has as its foundation Universal Love (which often equates for people as their relationship to God, or a Higher Power, or their spiritual nature). But the Inherited Purpose is based in fear, a sense of lack and a need to struggle to survive.

Here's the catchy part. Your Inherited Purpose operates most effectively be remaining in the background of your awareness. Since it's formed in our early formative years, it's pretty easy for it to stay in the background, kinda like the air conditioning unit you don't even year in a room until it shuts off and suddenly you realize there was a soft humming in the background.

So, my coaching to you -- uncover your Inherited Purpose so you can begin to own it and eventually make friends with it so one day it can become your ally in living true to your Divinely Inspired Purpose.

By the way, this is a critically important step along the Purposeful Path that is fully outlined in Passage 3 of the 6 Passages of the Life On Purpose Process. For more on the Life On Purpose Perspective, check out this blog posting from my next book on the subject. (There's also a video here related to this.)

You may also want to take the Life On Purpose Self Test to get a clearly picture of your starting point, as well as pointing you towards your new life.

And thanks for giving me this opportunity to express my own life purpose in this way, and for being willing for to share it publicly so that others may be served.

2. I have great resources but don't know what it is I actually want to do
My background has been in running projects for expelled kids, unemployed etc I have been a single parent for the last 20 years and my youngest daughter is about to get married.I feel that I have reached a crossroads in my life where my job is totally unfulfilling and my personal life is in a little upheaval. I am now in a position to be able to choose what I do rather than whatever is going to put food on the table. However, having reached that point I don't know what it is I actually want to do. I have immense energy, good organisational abilities, good people skills and enjoy travelling. Can you help?

Ann Swift:
Being a single parent for 20 years could not have been an easy task. As your youngest child gets married and embarks on her new life it leaves a void in a mother's life. This is often referred to as the Empty Nest Syndrome but from your question I hear it is even more than that. You are in a very unique place where you can rearrange your life so that it fits more of your desires. Previously to the current situation it sounds like you have worked really hard to put food on the table and take care of you and your children.

Now you are presented with a new problem, what do you do with your life now that you are freed up? What direction do you take? Life is far more than work and shouldn't a life purpose reflect more than our work life.

So my coaching for you would be to sort out what your life purpose is and then choose what you want to do there. This is easier said than done. It is going to require some personal inner work to find out who you really are. Once you have clarified your life purpose choosing how to express it through work, hobbies and much more becomes much easier. Here are some tools to help you along the path.

The video here can help you know what a life purpose is and a post on our blog written by my husband Brad Swift that explains our perspective as well.

Please feel free to go to our website www.lifeonpurpose.com and download any of the free material that can help you along the path toward clarifying your life purpose. I hope this helps.

3. Where should I steer my focus so that my purpose may show itself?
I am looking for clarity of my purpose. My question: Where should I steer my focus so that my purpose may show itself?

One year ago, I quit my job of 18 years as a MRI Technologist to pursue a new career in the raw food field. Since then I have discovered that at this time I am unable to, or have not found the right path on the raw food movement that will support me financially. I am now forced to go back to the medical field for financial stability, but I am apprehensive about this because when I quit one year ago I thought it was for good. Anyways, the medical field is my vehicle for financial stability, but my true purpose is still out there. My ultimate goal is to help others. (Alternative Health).

My hobbies are: World travel, yoga, meditation, making raw dishes, hiking, photography, reading and being of service. Spirituality is the most important part of me and my life as I work on my inner being I know that it will shine outwardly. I am comfortable with and enjoy being alone in a contemplative state, as well as in the company of others. Although, I tend to keep to myself the most. Friends and relatives are always interested in what I am working on and are intrigued by my travels and life choices. I have been told that I have that "je ne sais quoi" when it comes to speaking, inspiring and influencing others. I would love to do this if I knew what my voice is meant to say. :)

Brad Swift:
Thanks for your question: "Where should I steer my focus so that my purpose may show itself?"

Here is where I would start in steering your focus. The work you are doing as a MRI Technologist is not your purpose. While your response to this may be, 'dude, I know that.' Here's the next piece -- neither is your work as a Yoga Instructor, or Raw Food Chef.

However, each of these could be some of the ways in which you choose to EXPRESS your life purpose. You see, from the Life On Purpose Perspective, a life purpose isn't what we do, it's more about who we are...who we are as spiritual beings and what we came here to this physical life to be and to experience.

So, that's where to focus. Who are you? What were you sent here to be and to experience. Said another way, what is the context, vessel or container into which to pour your life? That is your life purpose.

Knowing that context is 1 of the 3 key components to having 'clarity of purpose.' Let me share an example that may help make this clearer...

My Divinely Inspired Life Purpose is to live an inspired and inspiring life of purposeful, passionate, and playful service; a life of mindful abundance balanced with simplicity; and a life of spiritual serenity.

That's the context into which I pour my life. And I can be that and express that in many different ways. I could be that in my former career as a small animal vet (although I wasn't clear that was my purpose back in those days.) I choose to express this purpose as a writer, coach, speaker and co-founder of Life On Purpose Institute. Those are the ways I express it professionally.

I also express it in my relationships with my wife and daughter, in my volunteer work in my spiritual community, etc. In other words, each and every moment of my life and all areas of my life can be shaped by his purpose.

So, focus there? Get clear about that. Crystal clear. Then be that in your current profession, and learn to love expressing who you are right there. Then, if you choose to express it in other ways and in other professions, the transition to those new forms of expression will be far easier because all along the way you'll be living true to your Divinely Inspired Life Purpose.

For more on the Life On Purpose Perspective, check out this blog posting from my next book on the subject. (There's also a video here related to this.)

You may also want to take the Life On Purpose Self Test to get a clearly picture of your starting point, as well as pointing you towards your new life.

And again, thanks for giving me this opportunity to express my own life purpose in this way, and for being willing for to share it publicly so that others may be served.

4. I want to know what career path to pursue, that fits my purpose
My education and work backgrounds are social work and education, and am currently working as an administrator. My job has gone from people-oriented to paperwork-oriented, which is far from my natural skills, abilities and interests. I am losing hope of finding my life purpose as I face each day of mundane, brain-numbing activities. I want to know what career path to pursue, that fits my purpose.

My talents are with people, and I can see things other people don't-each person's unique skills and talents. An example is of someone i worked with, a kid who others were fed up with. I found his strength and put it to use. He appreciated me for it. My gift is inspiring, motivating, empowering people to believe in themselves.

I am passionate about freedom and equality and fight against racism, sexism, and other isms.

I am charismatic, and people fascinate me. I am an extrovert - honest, yet diplomatic, firm yet compassionate. I am asked to mediate tough conversations because I can communicate based on each person's needs. I care about people's feelings.

I am a risk-taker, adventurous, and constantly have good ideas, but have problems following through. I'm good at creating new ways of doing things, have great ideas, and always focus on the possibilities, but dislike strict rules, boredom, bureacracy and details. People are naturally drawn to me, and I am able to relate to any person in any situation. I see what connects us.

I believe everything happens for a reason. My career no longer gives my life meaning and purpose, and I have no passion for what I do. I am a passionate person who needs to do what I love, to use my greatest skills, talents, and creativity to contribute to the world. In my experience, our greatest skills and strengths bring us the most joy and fulfillment, and I hope to use my gifts to help others. Time is passing so fast, and part of me is thankful to have a job right now, but I have to ask if there is more to life than this!

Brad Swift:
I can see a theme emerging in this first week of these coaching requests, which I guess isn't too surprising given the topic is clarifying one's purpose!

The theme I'm speaking about is the recommendation of shifting one's perspective regarding how we typically view the idea of a life purpose from the common / cultural theme that says our life purpose is what we DO (which often leads one to think of their job or career as their life purpose or some significant role like being a parent, or provider, or good member of a family) and shifting instead to viewing a life purpose as who one is as a spiritual being and what we came to this life to be and experience.

So regarding: "I want to know what career path to pursue, that fits my purpose," I recommend you start by discerning what your life purpose is first, then allow it to shape how you choose to express that purpose.

For example, my life purpose is to live a purposeful, passionate and playful life of service, a life of mindful abundance balanced with simplicity and a life of spiritual serenity. And knowing this I choose to express these qualities of being in my work as a coach, writer, speaker, but also it's what shapes my role as a parent, and even as a volleyball player at the local YMCA.

The good news is that you've done some great 'inner work' to discern many of the qualities you process. I'll list the ones that stood out in your message:

inspiring, motivating, empowering (simply change to inspiration, motivation, empowerment) freedom and equality charismatic, honest, diplomatic, compassionate adventurous, and constantly have good ideas (equates to me as creative)

You might want to experiment with these a bit and plug them into a simple format of -- A life on purpose is a _____ life of ______, _______, and ______. And each blank can have more than one word as long as the words are either nouns or adjectives and not verbs (to avoid having your life purpose statement contain more doing than being, which would turn it into a mission statement instead of a life purpose statement.)

Now, here's the last and perhaps toughest part. Once you have a working life purpose statement that inspires you and calls you to be in the world, see if you can start 'pouring' your current position into that context and use your current position to practice living true to your life purpose.

You don't have to stay in the position forever but the more you can see that you COULD stay there and still live true to your life purpose, the more freedom you will have to move on to something else.

You see this is the erroneous thinking so many people fall into: "My career no longer gives my life meaning and purpose."

You're right it doesn't, and really never did. We bring meaning and purpose to our work, not the other way around. Does that mean your current work is right 'in the center of the beam' of your life purpose? No, probably not. But as you get clearer what your purpose is and begin to 'test drive' living true to it, your current position will be a good place to practice living and expressing your purpose.

You may also find these resources about the Life On Purpose Perspective of interest and value to you:

For more on the Life On Purpose Perspective, check out this blog posting from my next book on the subject. (There's also a video here related to this.)

Hang in there. You're asking the right questions, which is half the battle. As a recent article I read said, "Asking the right questions determines our quality of life." Check it out here.

5. I do not understand: why did I come on Earth?
I do not understand: why did I come on Earth? Amongst everything that has happened in my life for the past 24 years there is hardly anything that I planned and did... for some strange reason I feel that whatever I plan, just the opposite happens. I am unable to decide what course of action I should take next. I have completed my post graduation, an MBA in marketing, but I left the job that I got from placements because I do not like selling things, I am not meant to be a sales guy... I know that. But I do not know what I can do, because I get bored with everything within a week. I am not understanding what is the purpose of my life and what is it that can be called an ideal life? Please help me find the reason for my unstability and purpose of life?

Brad Swift:
I'm going to give you my perspective which is a spiritual one that I offer for you to try on. You came here of your own free will and while you haven't yet 'figured out' your purpose, you have one.

OK, I know at this point, you may be puzzled about how to determine what it is, so here's where I'm going to invite you to redirect your focus. You're life purpose isn't about what you were sent here to 'do,' at least not exactly.

You're here on planet Earth at a time when we're evolving to a new perspective about life purpose -- from the old, cultural paradigm that has said a life purpose is about what one is here to do, to a new paradigm/perspective that says your life purpose is more about who you are as a spiritual being and what you came here to this life to BE and to EXPERIENCE.

Your life purpose is more about being than doing. And here's the relationship to these two -- as you get clear about who you came here to BE, it will then have the power to shape what you see possible to DO as an expression of your life purpose.

Try that on for a few minutes and see how it feels. Does it resonate with some aspect of yourself?

You see, you and much of the rest of the world have been looking for your life purpose in the wrong part of life -- the doing part rather than the being part.

It's like the old joke (at least old here in the USA) about Joe who was found by his friends one night on his hands and knees under the street lamp. When asked what he was doing, he looked up, pointed down the street and said, "I lost my car keys down in that dark alley, and I'm trying to find them."

Of course, his friends looked puzzled for a moment before one replied, "Well, if you lost the keys down there, why are you up here?"

"The lighting is better here," Joe replied.

Just like Joe, you can spend a lot of time looking for your life purpose in the domain of doing without ever finding it.

Regarding: "I get bored with everything within a week." Really? Everything? Well, to start, try to remember times when you've not been bored. Think of times when you've been most alive, turned on, excited and inspired. Start by looking at what you were doing doing those times. Make a list of them. Don't be concerned if they were income producing or not. Could be times when you enjoyed traveling, or spending times in nature, or reading, or rafting down a river, or.... Whatever.

You can add to that list things you haven't done yet but know you would love doing. Talk to people who know you well and ask them when they've seen you most turned on by life. If what they say isn't on your list and it rings true for you, add them. If they don't ring true, ignore them.

Then, once you have a good list -- the more the better -- look 'behind' the doing to see what about each of them were you experiencing and who you were being in those moments.

For example -- let's say these were a few things on your list and what you remember experiencing or imagine you would:

Walking in nature - contentment and feeling connected
Traveling to new places - sense of adventure and excitement at learning / being curious
Volunteering to help animals - making a difference and feeling connected to life / being loving to the animals
Scuba diving - adventure and appreciation of beauty

Those common threads are parts that when put together will become the whole of your life purpose statement. In the article I'm going to refer you to, these are also referred to as the 'molecules of meaning' that are the building block of your life purpose: this blog posting from my next book on the subject. (There's also a video here related to this.)

BTW, if this 'sample of coaching' makes sense and resonates, it's a very small part of the Life On Purpose Process which serves as a roadmap to a life on purpose and is thoroughly outlined in the Life On Purpose Home Study Course. I offer this 'purposeful plug' so you know that you don't have to continue to flounder around with the good ol' trial and error approach. <G> Good fortune as you travel the Purposeful Path.

6. Having a life purpose seems to conflict with spiritual detachment
From 18 years old college student from India
I have been searching for the purpose of my life for quite sometime now (two years), but whenever I try to get an answer I always end up in suffering (due to my ignorance), because I always end up reading something like "The purpose of life is to DETACH FROM ALL THINGS IN THE WORLD AND START MEDITATING ON GOD, LIVE LIFE AS IF YOU DIE TOMORROW." I always thought my purpose is to be a motivational speaker (that's the only thing I love - Speaking). But now I don't know what to do. Life has no meaning for me. Now I can't concentrate in my studies, can't enjoy anything. Everything , I mean EVERYTHING has lost its joy in my Life. I am in a confused state and rather depressed.

Brad Swift:
First off, let me say how thrilled I am to receive your request for coaching and that at 18 you're asking such questions and have been for two years. Believe me, there are people much older who are only now starting to wonder what their purpose in life is and many others are still not even asking these questions.

Let's see what assistance I can offer in having you be able to answer the question, "What is my life purpose?" so you can get on with the joy and the challenge of living true to your purpose.

Here's the first place I'd invite you to shift your thinking... the same place many or even most people need to shift...

Please consider that your life purpose isn't just about what you're here to DO. In fact, it's first and foremost about who you are -- who you are as a spiritual being and what you came here to this life to be and to experience.

Sit with that for a moment, and you're likely to come up with -- "Okay, but then who am I?" That's a natural response. Also, can you see that you've already begun to shift the questions you're asking yourself to what will ultimately be more productive and here's why, and this is an important point...

Who we are, or to say it more accurately, who we consider ourselves to be, has a powerful influence on what we see possible to do in the world. In other words, our BEING shapes our DOING, which then shapes our HAVING.

When we get clearer and clearer about who we are, then it has the power to shape our actions and results in the world.

Now, here's the last piece for now. By the time we're in our mid-teen years most of us have made up a story about who we are that is based in fear, lack and struggle. We've had enough life experiences that felt threatening to us and in those moments we made up bits of the story about who we consider ourselves to be in relationship with the world -- this happened for the most part on an unconscious level. This story which I refer to as the Inherited Purpose is also a powerful shaper of our life experiences and often keeps us stuck from knowing our true purpose in life. So, it's just as important to uncover the unique Inherited Purpose so you can move beyond it.

For example, my father died very unexpectedly when I was almost seven, leaving his wife and two sons with no real savings or life insurance. For years we struggled to make it, and in those years my own Inherited Purpose became: "I have to be smart and have all the answers (or pretend I do), and I have to work really really hard so I won't be poor and so people won't leave me." It was that IP that shaped much of the next few decades of my life to the point at 37, despite being a successful veterinarian that my inner life was so bankrupt that I almost took my own life.

Fortunately, I did not and subsequently learned that there's a lot of life on the other side of burn out! I also became clear that my true life purpose is to live an inspired and inspiring life of purposeful, passionate and playful service; a life of mindful abundance balanced with simplicity; and a life of spiritual serenity. And I can tell you that allow that to shape my life has made all the difference.

So, please purposefully persevere on your quest to know yourself more deeply and accurately. You are on the right path to be exploring these challenging questions at your age. And please, if some of this resonates with you, explore the various options for using the Life On Purpose Process as your roadmap to your life on purpose. More info is available at my web site.

Thanks for giving me this opportunity to express my life purpose in this way.

7. Is it fear or laziness that stops me from taking action?
I don't think for me it's a matter of finding out what my life purpose is because I know that I have been gifted with talent and a passion for music. Ever since I was a little girl, I could remember standing in front of the mirror pretending to be a rockstar, singing in my hair brush.

My dream is to sing and through music make an impact in teh world but my question is more in regards to my creative block and some sort of mental/emotional resistence I seem to have in pursuing my life pursue to become a performer/singer.

You would think that some who really had the passion and determination to materilze their dream would be taking action but I feel stuck and i tend to procratsinate and avoid every opportunity I have to live out my life purpose. It's just total insanity. Is it fear, is it just pure laziness? What is stopping me from taking action, from dedicating more time and energy into the one thing I love so much? Can you help?

Brad Swift:
Thank you for your question - Is it fear, is it just pure laziness? What is stopping me from taking action, from dedicating more time and energy into the one thing I love so much?

I can really feel your frustration and angst in your message. So, let's see what I can provide to start to 'unstick' you and provide you access to a greater degree of freedom to pursue your passion.

To begin, real briefly, let me make a distinction regarding life purpose. While most of our culture views a life purpose as what we're here to 'DO' (sing, dance, coach, doctoring, healing, etc.) the Life On Purpose Perspective offers a different view -- your life purpose is who you are as a spiritual being and what you came here to be and to experience. Your life purpose is the context of BEING that you pour your life of DOING into, so who you are begins to shape what you do, and what you do becomes ways in which you express your life purpose. (more info on this in links below)

With that in mind, please consider this second distinction. We all have not one but two life purposes. In other words, we have two primary life shaping forces in our lives and each of them is distinct to ourselves. We have our true, or as I like to refer to it, our Divinely Inspired Life Purpose, and we have our Inherited Purpose. Both can be powerful shaping forces in our life, and when our lives are being shaped by the Inherited Purpose, it prevents us from either knowing our true purpose or it acts as a master saboteur undermining our life purpose.

And you're right on when you suspect that FEAR may be playing a big part in your dilemma. You see, our Divinely Inspired Life Purpose arises from and has as its foundation Universal Love (which often equates for people as their relationship to God, or a Higher Power, or their spiritual nature). But the Inherited Purpose is based in fear, a sense of lack and a need to struggle to survive.

Here's the catchy part. Your Inherited Purpose operates most effectively be remaining in the background of your awareness. Since it's formed in our early formative years, it's pretty easy for it to stay in the background, kinda like the air conditioning unit you don't even year in a room until it shuts off and suddenly you realize there was a soft humming in the background.

So, my coaching to you -- uncover your Inherited Purpose so you can begin to own it and eventually make friends with it so one day it can become your ally in living true to your Divinely Inspired Purpose.

By the way, this is a critically important step along the Purposeful Path that is fully outlined in Passage 3 of the 6 Passages of the at my web site.

For more on the Life On Purpose Perspective, check out this this blog posting from my next book on the subject. (There's also a video here related to this.)

You may also want to take the Life On Purpose Self Test to get a clearly picture of your starting point, as well as pointing you towards your new life.

And thanks for giving me this opportunity to express my own life purpose in this way, and for being willing for to share it publicly so that others may be served.

8. I don't know what my purpose is nor do I find any jobs interesting.
I am a 39 year old mom of two girls and married. I am so confused in my life. I don't know what my purpose is nor do I find anything interesting to me to do for a living. I've tried different jobs that I thought I would like but nothing ever sticks. I always just want to be home, but that doesn't pay the bills. My husband is very supportive and just wants me to be happy, but I struggle with what to do. I want to model, but that's a far fetched dream. I would love to work from home, but everything on the internet is a scam. The only thing I feel somewhat confident of is my handwriting is pretty nice... but there's nothing I can think of to do with it. I love exercising but I don't have the confidence to be a personal trainer... I don't have any visible talents and so I am at a loss with the whole "do something you are passionate about" career... I'm shy and I just feel most comfortable in my own home... I want to work, but I also do not want to be around lots of people... does that make any sense?

Right now my children are 13 and 14 and I want to be around for them, so I just want to do something part-time, but not just anything meaningless, yet I can't figure out what I am good at? I need to help bring an income in but at the same time I am afraid whatever I do won't be satisfying to me... I usually get an idea and get excited for about a day and then I start talking myself out of it... why it wont work or why I'm not good enough to do it... I just want to be productive and do something i enjoy, but what is that? I don't know... it's like I am just wandering around with no purpose and I am sick of it... tired of not knowing what I should be doing with myself... or even what I enjoy doing, because we never have any money to enjoy anything in our life to know if I'd enjoy it as a career or a hobby... I sound so negative and really I'm not... just confused. Some insight would be very helpful.

Ann Swift:
First of all, thank your for writing your letter to us. It takes courage to face the facts of what is happening in your life right now. Also know that you are not the only woman who feels this way. You want to express yourself but at the same time you don't want to leave the home you have made for you husband and children. Working from home sounds good but what to do?

This is where you start making your first mistake is by asking what to do. When we ask the wrong questions we get the wrong answers. As you mentioned in your letter that you are excited for about a day and then you start talking yourself out of it. A good question to ask is "Who is doing the talking that talks you out of your excitement?" This is an excellent question because we rarely ask this question to find out what is really at the core of this disillusionment. At Life on Purpose we do work with our clients to identify this small negative voice that tells us we are not good enough, we will never be good enough, we don't have enough talent, we can't do that, etc. Sound familiar? This voice that talks to you is not your friend. It is what we call the Inherited Purpose. While I can't tell you all about the Inherited Purpose in this email, I can tell you that it is very worth your while to distinguish what your Inherited Purpose is so that you can stop it from sabbotaging your good ideas. At this stage no matter what you come up with the Inherited Purpose is going to poo-poo the idea and you will be back to feeling hopeless and helpless about "what to do." This is the vicious circle of the Inherited Purpose because it was never a question about "what to do" but "who you are."

I suggest you go to our website and check out the number of free articles and other items that are free for you to start the process of distinguishing the Inherited Purpose. There are other items available at our website for purchase if you would like as well. Do this work and you will find you can start to break free of the Inherited Purpose and have more freedom in all areas of your life.

Send your question to Ann and Brad Swift...