Finding Your Purpose

If you’re frustrated, wondering what career path to take, struggling with a big life decision, or simply want to add more depth and creativity to your world but aren’t sure where to start, check out this inspiring interview with life coach, Martha Beck (she’s also Harvard trained and Oprah’s Life Coach……clearly she knows what she’s doing.)

Pamela Slim got the scoop on Martha’s latest book, “Finding Your Way in a Wild New World.” Martha tells a story about “tracking” rhinos in Africa and cleverly compares that experience to tracking or following the signs to find your passion, purpose or next steps.

Here are just a few of the insights that resonated with me after listening to the podcast interview. I hope you’ll listen and tell me what connected with you.

* Most people try to figure it out with their mind. But, a “track” or a sign is not what you think works for you, it’s what you feel with your body… it’s visceral.

* We tend to track it from where we are right now. If you’re sitting in an airless office building waiting to find your passion, you’re not going to find it there. You have to go or create the environment where you last remember total absorption in the moment or full out engagement – that is a hot track.

* To find that starting point, start looking at your memories and all of the activities where you were fully engaged and experienced total absorption – that is a hot track. Go there, or re-create that environment. This may not be “it,” but if you start here, it will likely guide you to the next track or sign.

* Meditation or playing a musical instrument can be a way of getting to a place of “wordless awareness.” Anything that stops our monkey mind from trying to figure it out and tell us what to do, or that we’re not good enough or smart enough is worth pursuing!

Finding Your Way in a Wild New World by Martha Beck
Finding Your Way in a Wild New World by Martha Beck

Martha Beck works with some of the most famous, successful people in the world, the “fancy people our culture aspires to be.” She gently reminds us that while it sounds cliche, it’s true:

“There’s not a single thing you can gain in the physical world… wealth, power, influence, beauty, fame…that can make you happy.”

The key to happiness is following your heart, or your own North Star as Martha would say.