Discovering Your Potential. Unlocking Your Potential. Designing Your Future.
Future By Design | The Purpose Collection
Have you ever stopped to wonder what your purpose really is?
I mean, really stopped and thought about it?
Not what you do for a living. Not the roles you've played throughout your life. Not what other people expect of you.
I'm talking about that something deep inside you that makes you feel alive, fulfilled, and genuinely valuable.
That something that makes you feel like you're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing.
I've come to believe that we spend an awful lot of time searching for our purpose when perhaps we've been carrying it with us all along.
What if your purpose isn't something you need to find? What if it's something you need to recognize?
That's a thought worth exploring.
The Acorn Already Knows It's an Oak Tree
I recently revisited an interesting concept from James Hillman's book, The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling.
Hillman introduces what he calls the Acorn Theory.
Think about an acorn for a moment.
That tiny acorn contains the potential to become a magnificent oak tree.
It doesn't spend its time trying to become a maple tree. It doesn't compare itself to the pine tree growing next to it. And it certainly doesn't worry about whether it's growing as quickly as the other trees.
It simply grows according to its nature, influenced by the conditions around it.
Hillman suggests that perhaps we aren't so different.
His theory is that each of us is born with a unique pattern of individuality. Something within us that influences our natural interests, abilities, and inclinations.
He refers to this inner pattern through the ancient Greek concept of the daimon, or inner guide.
Now, I'm not suggesting that every detail of our lives is predetermined. And Hillman's theory is a philosophical perspective, not an established scientific fact.
But I find the underlying idea fascinating.
What if the clues to your purpose have been showing up throughout your entire life, and you simply haven't recognized them?
We've Been So Busy Living That We Forgot to Pay Attention
Think about your life.
From the time we're young, we're encouraged to figure out what we want to be when we grow up.
We go to school. We choose careers. We build relationships. We raise families. We pay bills. We meet obligations.
And somewhere along the way, we become very good at doing what needs to be done.
We become responsible adults.
But here's something I've noticed.
Being good at fulfilling your responsibilities doesn't necessarily mean you're fulfilling yourself.
There's a difference.
Sometimes we become so identified with our responsibilities that we forget to ask ourselves what actually brings us joy.
What energizes us.
What makes us feel valuable.
What fills our cup.
And then something changes.
The children grow up.
The career ends.
Retirement arrives.
A relationship changes.
Or perhaps we simply wake up one morning and realize that the life we've built no longer feels quite as fulfilling as it once did.
Suddenly, we're asking questions we haven't asked ourselves in years.
Who am I now?
What do I want?
What's next for me?
And perhaps the biggest question of all:
What is my purpose?
Your Purpose Is Not Your Job Title
This is something I feel strongly about.
What you do is not necessarily who you are.
I spent much of my professional life in management, coaching, mentoring, and helping young professionals develop their potential.
I loved watching someone recognize an ability they didn't realize they possessed.
I loved seeing confidence develop.
I loved watching someone go from questioning whether they could accomplish something to realizing they absolutely could.
Then I retired at 55.
My husband and I moved back to a much smaller hometown, and I began what I thought would be the next chapter of my life.
I had worked hard. I'd had a fulfilling career. I'd earned the opportunity to slow down.
But something was missing.
It wasn't that I regretted retiring.
And it certainly wasn't that I wanted to go back to the demands of my previous career.
It was something deeper.
I missed contributing.
I missed encouraging people.
I missed helping someone recognize possibilities they couldn't yet see for themselves.
And eventually, I realized something important.
My career had ended, but the part of me that loved helping people grow hadn't gone anywhere.
It was still there.
It had always been there.
Management was simply one way I had expressed it.
That realization changed the way I thought about my future.
I didn't necessarily need to find an entirely new purpose.
I needed to decide how I wanted to express the parts of myself that still mattered.
And that's a big difference.
Sometimes Our Greatest Strengths Are the Ones We Overlook
Here's another interesting thought.
Have you ever noticed that the things you do naturally are often the very things you don't consider particularly special?
Maybe you're the person everyone comes to when they need advice.
Maybe you're the one who can walk into a chaotic situation and immediately see what needs to be done.
Perhaps you naturally encourage others, organize projects, solve problems, create things, or bring people together.
You don't think much about it because it's simply what you do.
But here's my question.
What if the things that come most naturally to you are some of the greatest clues to how you can contribute?
We spend so much time trying to improve our weaknesses that we sometimes fail to recognize the value of our strengths.
Now, being good at something doesn't automatically make it your purpose.
I can be good at something and have absolutely no desire to spend my time doing it.
That's why I believe we have to look a little deeper.
We have to consider not only what we're good at, but what brings us fulfillment.
What gives us energy rather than constantly draining it.
What makes us feel that our time and effort have meaning.
That's where things begin to get interesting.
Discovering Your Potential
Discovering Your Potential is about looking inward—recognizing your natural abilities, strengths, passions, and the patterns that have followed you throughout your life.
Just because you haven't developed a particular ability doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Sometimes our greatest potential remains undiscovered simply because we've never given ourselves permission or the opportunity to explore it.
Pay Attention to What Keeps Showing Up
I want you to think back over your life.
Not just the last five or ten years.
Go all the way back.
What did you love doing when you were young?
What came naturally to you?
What were you curious about?
What did people compliment you on?
What activities made you lose track of time?
Now think about your adult life.
What have people consistently come to you for?
What situations have brought out the best in you?
When have you felt most fulfilled?
And here's one more question.
What have you always wanted to do but continually put on the back burner because life got in the way?
Sometimes we dismiss these things because they don't seem practical.
We tell ourselves we're too busy.
Too old.
Too inexperienced.
Too far along in life to start something new.
Or perhaps we convince ourselves that the opportunity has already passed.
But has it?
Or have we simply decided it has?
I believe there's a lot of wisdom to be gained by examining the patterns of our lives.
Not because our past dictates our future.
It doesn't.
But because our past contains valuable information about who we are, what matters to us, and what has consistently brought us fulfillment.
And that information can help us make better decisions about what comes next.
Giving Your Potential Purpose
Your purpose may have been with you all along. Discovering your potential helps you recognize it. Unlocking your potential allows you to do something meaningful with it.
Passion and Purpose Aren't Necessarily the Same Thing
I think this is an important distinction.
We often hear people say, "Follow your passion."
Well, that's wonderful advice if you know what your passion is.
But what if you have several?
What if your interests have changed?
What if the things you once enjoyed no longer excite you?
Does that mean you've lost your purpose?
I don't believe so.
Here's how I look at it.
Passion is what excites you. Purpose is what gives your life meaning.
You may be passionate about writing, teaching, traveling, gardening, or learning new things.
Those are interests that bring you enjoyment.
But your purpose may be something broader.
Perhaps you find meaning in helping others grow.
Perhaps it's creating beauty.
Perhaps it's bringing people together.
Perhaps it's sharing knowledge, solving problems, or making life a little better for someone else.
Your passions may change throughout your lifetime.
And the way you express your purpose may change right along with them.
But the underlying values and qualities that bring you fulfillment may remain surprisingly consistent.
That's why I believe we need to stop thinking of purpose as one specific job, activity, or destination.
Purpose doesn't have to be one thing you do. It can be the meaning behind many things you do.
What If Your Restlessness Is Trying to Tell You Something?
Have you ever felt restless even though, on paper, everything in your life looked perfectly fine?
You have a good life.
You have things to be grateful for.
You have responsibilities, relationships, and activities that keep you busy.
Yet something feels incomplete.
I think we sometimes make the mistake of dismissing that feeling.
We tell ourselves we should be satisfied.
We remind ourselves how fortunate we are.
And while gratitude is important, I don't believe gratitude and the desire for something more are mutually exclusive.
You can be grateful for the life you've lived and still want something meaningful from the life ahead.
Read that again.
Wanting to grow doesn't mean you're dissatisfied with everything you've accomplished.
Wanting a new challenge doesn't mean your previous achievements weren't enough.
And wanting to contribute in a different way doesn't mean you haven't already contributed.
It simply means you're still growing.
Of course, restlessness can have many causes. It doesn't automatically mean there's some hidden calling waiting to be discovered.
But I do think it's worth paying attention to.
Instead of immediately trying to fill every quiet moment with another activity, perhaps we should ask ourselves a few questions.
What am I missing?
What do I wish I had more of in my life?
What part of myself haven't I given enough attention to?
What would make this next chapter feel meaningful?
Sometimes the answers surprise us.
Your Next Chapter Doesn't Have to Look Like Your Last One
Here's what I love about this whole concept.
You don't have to start over.
You don't have to throw away everything you've learned.
You don't have to become an entirely different person.
In fact, I would encourage you to do just the opposite.
Take inventory of who you are.
Consider everything you've experienced.
The successes.
The disappointments.
The lessons.
The skills.
The relationships.
The wisdom you've accumulated along the way.
None of that has to be wasted.
Your experiences are part of what you bring to the table today.
And perhaps the question isn't, "What should I become?"
Perhaps the better question is:
"What do I want to do with who I am?"
Now that's a question worth spending some time on.
Because once you begin to recognize your strengths, understand what fulfills you, and identify what matters most, you can begin making intentional decisions about your future.
And that's where recognizing purpose becomes designing a life.
A Little Exercise I Want You to Try
I want you to find a quiet place and give yourself a little time to think.
Not five minutes while you're checking your phone.
I'm talking about some uninterrupted time to really reflect.
Ask yourself these five questions:
1. What has always been a part of who I am?
Think about the interests, characteristics, and abilities that have followed you throughout your life.
2. When have I felt most alive and fulfilled?
Go back to specific moments. Where were you? What were you doing? Who was there? What about that experience filled your cup?
3. What comes naturally to me?
What do you do with relative ease that others may find difficult? Which of those abilities do you actually enjoy using?
4. What keeps calling my attention?
What interests, dreams, or ideas have you repeatedly returned to but never fully explored?
5. What is the common thread?
Look at your answers.
Do you see any patterns?
Is there something connecting the activities, experiences, and relationships that have brought you the greatest fulfillment?
Don't worry about coming up with the perfect answer.
This isn't a test.
And there isn't a deadline.
The goal is simply to become more aware of yourself.
Because self-awareness is where clarity begins.
And clarity gives us the information we need to make intentional decisions.
Unlocking Your Potential
Unlocking Your Potential is about moving forward—removing self-imposed limitations, challenging old beliefs, and taking intentional action to develop and use those abilities.
Recognition Is Only the Beginning
There's one more thing I want to leave you with.
You can spend the rest of your life reflecting on your purpose.
You can read every book.
Take every assessment.
Make every list.
And analyze every experience you've ever had.
But at some point, you have to do something with what you've discovered.
You have to be willing to explore.
To try something.
To make a decision.
To take a step.
You don't have to have everything figured out before you begin.
In fact, some of the greatest clarity comes from taking action.
Try volunteering.
Explore an old interest.
Take a class.
Mentor someone.
Start that project you've been thinking about.
Give yourself permission to discover what feels meaningful in this season of your life.
And if something doesn't turn out the way you expected?
That's okay.
You learned something.
You gained information.
You can make another decision.
Remember, you fail forward.
The important thing is that you keep growing.
One Final Thought
I don't believe our desire to grow, contribute, and experience fulfillment comes with an expiration date.
Our circumstances change.
Our responsibilities change.
Our priorities change.
And yes, our abilities may change as we get older.
But that doesn't mean we stop having something valuable to offer.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again:
My spirit doesn't have an expiration date.
Neither does yours.
So perhaps it's time to stop asking yourself what you're supposed to be doing with the rest of your life.
Instead, ask yourself what has always made you feel most like yourself.
What gives you a sense of meaning?
What strengths have you accumulated?
What possibilities are still waiting to be explored?
And most importantly:
What do you want to do with who you are?
Because your next chapter doesn't have to be a continuation of your last one.
And it certainly doesn't have to be defined by your age, your past, or someone else's expectations.
You have the opportunity to take everything you've learned, everything you've experienced, and everything you have yet to discover and use it to create something meaningful.
You don't have to know exactly where the road will lead.
But you do have to be willing to take the first step.
You don't find your next chapter. You decide it—and then you grow into it.
And that, my friends, is what it means to create your Future By Design.
YOUR WISDOM WINDOW
A Moment for Reflection
Before you move on with your day, I want you to consider one question:
If you removed your age, your job title, your responsibilities, and everyone else's expectations, what would you want your life to be about?
Don't rush your answer.
Sometimes the most important questions deserve more than a moment of our attention.
Ready to Explore Your Next Chapter?
If this article has you thinking about your own strengths, interests, and possibilities, I invite you to begin with my complimentary guided reflection:
7 Questions That Reveal Your Next Chapter
Seven thought-provoking questions designed to help you look beyond where you've been and begin exploring where you want to go.
Because creating a meaningful future begins with understanding yourself.
Download Your Free Guided Reflection
Future By Design | Design a Future You Desire and Deserve