"My Life is an Empty Shell"--Finding Your Purpose

Unless you live in a cave, you probably heard about Atlanta's Snow-pocalypse 2014. Motorists were stranded in cars for hours while others were stranded at the office. Students were stranded on school buses or at schools overnight.  I was talking with someone recently about how they survived the disaster.  The worst part for her was being stranded at home. She lives alone and has no children she told me. "I was bored to tears with being stuck at home for three days," she said.  "My life's an empty shell and I didn't know what to do with myself."  An empty shell? Really? 

Finding Your Calling

I believe that we all have a calling, a mission that we have been uniquely gifted for.  We've been given talents and abilities that complement that mission.  How sad that someone feels so empty that being snowed in for three days,  meant she almost went crazy.  Don't get me wrong.  I can get a little cabin fever myself when stranded at home.  However, the number of projects and interests that I have is so numerous, that I rarely get bored.  Three days for me, meant time to catch up on writing, planning, communicating with others, reading... I could go on and on. 

So often people let life happen rather than making it happen. They meander from day to day, without goals or a clear direction.  When disaster or tragedy strikes, they have few resources for coping with it.  Something as small as being stuck at home with no one but yourself for company becomes a major ordeal. I understand this mindset. My early years were spent wishing, waiting and wondering if I'd be able to accomplish my dreams. I thought that the stars had to align, the universe had to be generous and the right people had to wander into my life. I gave away my power to anyone and everyone.  My life was at the mercy of my circumstances rather than me looking for the opportunity in the circumstances.  I didn't set goals and I certainly didn't create an action plan to make my dreams reality. I had an exhaustive to-do-list and I was very busy but without any clear direction. I said yes to anything and everything without evaluating whether or not it fit in with my purpose.  Living life intentionally has changed my focus and my life.

Living Life Intentionally

How do you live your life so that instead of thinking of it as an empty shell, you experience a life of abundance?  It first takes a change in your mindset.  Rather than looking at life as something that happens to you, you begin to see life as something you create.  Much like a writer writes a story or a film-maker creates a film, your job is to determine the plot, the direction of the story arc of your life.  Of course you can't control everything.  I understand that.  But you can control your reaction.  You can control what you do with the events that occur.  You can begin to look for the possibilities in everything.  Even when there are no impending changes, you can remain open to the possibilities that are all around.  Sometimes you even create change!  A great book that addresses this style of living and our tendency to cling to status quo is Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, M.D.  There are two approaches to life in this book.  Hem and Haw enjoy the comfort of the status quo without ever anticipating or preparing for change.  Sniff and Scurry enjoy the present abundance but also plan for the future and notice the evidence of the changes that are coming.  They explore the world around themselves.  They discover new experiences that are even better than the past.  They anticipate and find abundance rather than scarcity. What character do you identify with?  Hem and  Haw or Sniff and Scurry?  Are you waiting for good things to appear in your life or are you out looking for them and making them happen? 

Join Called Woman speaker, Colleen Miller, Sunday, February 9th for a free webinar on Toxic Relationships.  Sign up here:  http://acalledwoman.com/teleseminars/

Want to spend a day networking with other women and discovering your calling?  Attend the Called Woman Conference on March 15th in Marietta, Georgia.  Read all about it here:  http://acalledwoman.com/