5 Ways to Identify Your Purpose and Unique Talent

How many of you 'get' the concept of finding your passion and building a business around it, but are struggling to make it happen?



I get it. Being told to find your passion is like being told to cheer up when you're feeling depressed. Not only is it not helpful, it's counter-productive because it just makes you feel even more disconnected from your inner gifts.



Wherever you are on the spectrum of finding purpose and meaning through your creative expertise, everything you need is within you. It's just a matter of bringing it to light, little by little.



Here are 5 ways to help you do that:




1) Meditate (any which way you can)



As those of you who've been hanging out with me a while know, I fervently believe personal and professional development go hand-in-hand. If you don't manage your mind someone else will do it for you (and believe me, that's never going to end well!) So how do you do that? Pretty much every entrepreneurial or spiritual leader will tell you the same thing - through meditation.



I know, I know, meditation's hard. Who wants to sit still, trying (and failing) to still their monkey mind, especially when there's so much to do? If sitting still and meditating feels too challenging, try listening to a guided meditation on your cell phone as you walk. Anything that stills your mind, even for a minute, is helpful. One minute a day. We can all try that, right? 




2) Look for ways to feel inspired




I can't tell you how many times I get an idea for a newsletter, talk or program by listening to an interview with someone I admire. In fact, this post was inspired by this Bren & Brown talk. No matter what field you're in, there are thought-leaders and pioneers paving the way. Read their books, go to conferences where they're speaking, watch or read interviews with them. Greatness is contagious, so rub elbows with those who've got it going on.




3) Get input from a trusted partner




The tricky thing about gifts is they come so easily to us, we think everyone possesses them. When in fact, it's precisely that gift that others need, and will pay for. Using a trusted partner as a mirror to help you identify your talents can be incredibly clarifying, so consider recruiting a great client, a supportive friend/accountability buddy, or a coach to help shine a light on it.




4) Identify the problems you are uniquely equipped to solve





The thing that makes your unique gift have value and IMPACT in the world is figuring out what problems you solve, and for whom. Knowing who your ideal client is will give you clarity, purpose and make your efforts all the more effective. Not knowing who your ideal clients are, or how you solve their biggest challenges, is often the missing piece of the puzzle for struggling entrepreneurs or freelancers.

5) Communicate how your ideal client benefits from your gifts

As a result of working with you, will your ideal client:  

- Have a more successful brand 
- Feel healthier 
- Have more free time 
- Make more money 
- Look better

People will only hire you if they can immediately see how doing so will positively transform their life. Take the time to really get clear on these benefits and make those the center of your messaging and content. I promise, it's a game changer. 

I get that there's a lot of information here and putting it all together, in the right order and sticking with it long enough to get results is a tall order. If you're ready to get the clarity you need to align your gifts, message and services with the clients who have the burning desire and money to invest in working with you, then take your time and follow these step. With discipline, determination and perservance you will discover your purpose and unique talents.

Are You Chasing the Right Dream

The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.


~~ William James, famed psychologist


Achieving certain dreams often requires FAR LESS WORK than achieving other, seemingly easier goals. Why is that so?


Because it is much, much harder to work for a goal we do not passionately desire. But when you manage to get yourself focused on what is naturally of passionate interest to you your work becomes play.


Are Your Goals a Good Fit?


Hopefully you've invested some thought clarifying your life goals and you know exactly what you want. So why not take a few minutes to ask yourself an important question am I pursuing the right goal for ME?


Here's why that is so important: You'll never really achieve your true potential as long as you pour your energy into something that doesn't really fit your true passions and interests! Does that seem too simple?


Think about that for a moment. It's unfortunately very easy to automatically adopt someone else's goal. We were trained to do that very thing as children.


Ninty-nine percent of us were fully expected to achieve the goals our parents and educational system set out for us. Some of us gave in and tried to do so. Some of us rebelled and learned to fail instead. And some of us felt somehow inadequate because we did not have the natural interest and or aptitude to do what we were expected to do.

If you find you never seem to achieve your goals, you may be setting goals you don't really desire or believe in for yourself.


This is never going to lead to success. What it will lead to is one false start after another and a tendency to want to quit after the first bump in the road.


This is a major dead-end, and will do nothing but gradually erode your self confidence.


Ask Yourself This...


You need to be sure your goal really is YOUR goal for YOUR life. If you feel resistance, take a serious look at that. Ask yourself who you might really be setting that goal for?


Then ask yourself if you really have a burning passion for that goal, and are willing to butt heads with as many so-called failures as necessary to achieve it.


If your answer is no this may be a good time to revisit your goal setting exercise. Selecting an Appropriate Goal


Three things will happen if you make the effort to refocus yourself around a goal that is more in keeping with your natural talents and passions:


First, you will be happier, less stressed, and far more productive.


Second, you will be far more likely to hang in as you hit those jarring bumps in the road.


And third, there is a higher probability you will achieve a level of excellence at what you're doing. This increases your value thereby increasing your potential for increased return on your efforts.


So put your goal to the test. Does it truly measure up to your innermost desires? Achieve it.

The secrets of goal achievement are actually quite clear cut:

Have burning passion for what is desired,

Set a clear and exact goal to get it,

Make an absolute commitment to achieve the goal,

Be willing to pay the price for achieving it, and

Commit to focused action, focused action and more focused action.

9 Laws of Healthy Living

Why only 9 laws for healthy living? and not 10, or 15, or 20? well I tend to live a simple lifestyle, and at the time of this writing these were my absolute top laws, so I will make this short, direct, and to the point no filibustering here.

My top 9 laws for healthy living encompass all areas of life, from relationships, family, business, finances, education, religion, whatever keep in mind these are MY top 9, not necessarily your top 9 so with that in mind, here we go:

Law #1. PUT GOD FIRST - Put God first in all your endeavors, trial and tribulations...if you truly trust God, then put it first in everything you do and are involved in from business decisions, personal decisions, family decisions, education decisions, financial decisions, etc. trust in thee have faith the 'ole saying that your heart is where your money is rings true by putting your trust and faith in God, life will be much smoother sailing....

Law #2. MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE - maintaining a positive mental attitude means to me to have the right attitude for the given moment whatever the circumstance you find yourself in, stay positive but at the same time you have to deal with reality this is a learned trait and not always easy it takes practice and a willingness to keep it positive.

Law #3. LIVE BY THE PLATINUM (NOT GOLDEN) RULE - living by the platinum rule means to help others MORE than you would help yourself....if you strive to help others, then I believe you will definitely help yourself you see I believe not everything is quantitative and cannot be measured, we need a little faith so live by the platinum rule, to help others before and MORE than you help yourself and all will work out just fine.

Law #4. FOCUS - this is very important it can even be argued by some that those without faith, if you are truly focused on your objective, can achieve whatever the heart desires there may be a lot of truth in that, but I still believe that God comes first because anyone can be upbeat during the good times, but when that inevitable downturn occurs, how will you react, stay focused.

Law #5. GO THE EXTRA MILE - with this go the extra mile attitude, when you develop this habit, it spills over into everything you do for example, your boss says on Friday p.m. to have that report on his desk bright and early Monday a.m., but you have plans for the weekend what do you do? Well if you are efficient at multi-tasking, then just find a way to make it happen stay positive, get focused and get it done.

Law #6. A HEALTHY BODY EQUALS A HEALTHY MIND - never take your health for granted I know we don't live forever and eventually we will meet our maker, but our body is our temple, so keep it healthy eliminate those bad habits we tend to overindulge in, like alcohol, etc. I believe that if you feel good, your mind stays sharp, focused, and not distracted.

Law #7. NEVER GIVE UP, DON'T EVER GIVE UP - this is a great quote by one of the heroes ofhis time, the late great Jimmy Valvano (head men's basketball coach of North Carolina State University) and national championship coach he delivered his famous speech as he was battling cancer, and near the end of his life what an inspiration so in whatever you do, don't ever give up, keep at it. 

Law #8. STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE - I believe that if your focus is on being the absolute best you can be, every day, in whatever you are doing, then everything else will take care of itself if you strive for excellence, then success will surely follow. 

Law #9. LIVE WITH EXPECTANCY - living with expectancy to me means that we live with the expectations that your dreams, goals, and desires of your heart were put there by your maker and , so if you trust, it will be delivered to you if you truly believe so believe it, that today is your day, and live with expectancy.

Understanding What Drives You to Succeed

The first step in achieving anything you want is deciding what you want in the first place. 

Do you want material gains or personal satisfaction? Is your deep desire to positively impact others or to make a certain amount of money? 

My belief is that if you are using your gifts and doing what you love, the money will follow. 

Often times, the problem people have is an understanding of what they really want in the first place. They go after the results instead of their real passion.

It is easy to get caught up in material wants but if your inner motivation is not driven by material things then it is unlikely that you will have the drive to take the steps necessary to get those things. 

On the other hand, if your inner motivation is driven by material things then it will be easy for you to really see yourself having those things you want. The key to success is to really be able to see and feel yourself where you want to be.

Let me share an example. Money has never been my motivation. 

My motivation has always come from learning new skills, influencing others, and achieving higher levels of responsibility. When I set goals that are specific to money or material things I can never quite fully feel it on the inside. If I put down that I want to make a certain amount of money each month and I don't have something bigger driving it, it just doesn't work for me. 

Although, there was one time in my life where I set specific money goals and did reach them.  I had an extreme desire to keep my children in our home and not be financially dependent on others. In order to make that happen I had to make a certain amount of money. I set some goals and had a plan so that in five years I would be financially independent. I met my goal within two years. And even though the goal was to make a certain amount of money, my real motivation was about independence.

My encouragement for you is to examine what your real motives are. 

Start by creating a vision board around what you really desire. You will know when you are on to it because it is something you can feel deep down inside. The rest will fall into place when you are operating from your real desires. My real drive comes from making a difference in the world and my big vision is to do that by sharing information. 

There are many, many small steps that have to happen in order for me to fully realize that big vision and I am doing the work to make the necessary progress to move me from where I am to where I want to be. Are you? Remember, you can achieve whatever you believe as long as you are willing to work for it!