One of the buzz words these days is “purpose”. So many individuals are trying to find their “true calling”, and so many persons claim to have found it in some magical way. Finding our why seems like a magical thing that only a few have access to. Finding your reason for living and being is not a secret, and there is no secret sauce. God has given us a road map to finding our purpose and it is pretty easy if we are obedient. Throughout my journey of finding my purpose, I used seven simple tools that I would like to share with you.

Before jumping into the seven tools to unearth your God-given purpose, I would like you to take a moment to answer five questions. Take a few minutes to explore these questions. Close your eyes and think about them as you come up with your answers. This is a Future Thinking exercise. I recommend a deep-breathing exercise as you do this activity. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Ready? Let’s go!

• If you were living in your purpose or actively pursuing it right now, where would you be one year from today?
• Identify a specific situation in the future that proves that you are doing what you want to do.
• As you think about the situation, identify how being in that situation makes you feel. As you experience the emotion, connect with it deeper. If the situation makes you smile, then smile. Experience the climate and the noise around you.
• Whose life are you impacting? Think about them. Look at their faces. What are their emotions? What would they say to you
• How is your life impacted?

Are you finished? This is a powerful exercise. This practice is used by many coaches to help their clients connect with a goal. I recommend that you do this exercise whenever your commitment level toward your goal is dwindling. All the emotions that you connected with a few moments ago are what you are giving up if you do not live in your purpose. I dare you to make a commitment, right here and now, to pursue your purpose.