“Purposeful Patience & Persistence: The process of staying on purpose and balancing the realization that bringing a new level of purposeful living into your life takes time, and at the same time staying persistently inaction towards the fulfillment of your Purpose Projects.” ~~ From Life On Purpose: Six Passages to an Inspired Life by Dr. Brad Swift
I recently had a new client come to a coaching call frustrated with herself for not having been more on purpose since clarifying her life purpose during a Living & Working On Purpose Retreat that her place of business had sponsored for their employees.
“I know how valuable the work we did was, and I just don’t want to lose it, but over the past few weeks I feel it slipping away,” she shared, and I could hear the anxiety and frustration in her voice.
I asked her, “How old are you?” To which she replied, “27.”
“And how much of those 27 years would you say the fear, lack, and struggle of your Inherited Purpose has shaped much of those years?
“Probably about 25 years,” she replied.
“And how long have you been clear about your life purpose and your Inherited Purpose?”
“About a month,” she replied a bit sheepishly.
“Then, do you think you could give yourself a break? You’re just now beginning the process of designing your life to be a reflection of your true purpose. It takes some time and continual dedication.”
And this is where the Power Tool for Living On Purpose of Purposeful Patience and Persistence can pay big dividends. Here’s the definition of this power tool: The process of staying on purpose and balancing the realization that bringing a new level of purposeful living into your life takes time, and at the same time staying persistently inaction towards the fulfillment of your Purpose Projects.
I can understand my client’s frustration. It’s a factor of our culture that says we should have everything immediately if not sooner. But becoming masterful at living on purpose takes time. As George Leonard writes in his classic, Mastery: the Keys to Success and Long-term Fulfillment: “The modern world can be viewed as a prodigious conspiracy against mastery. We’re continually bombarded with promises of immediate gratification, instant success, and fast, temporary relief, all of which leads in exactly the wrong direction.” That is, away from the path of mastery.”
So, for all of you traveling along the Purposeful Path, whether you are using the Life On Purpose Process as your roadmap or not, please ‘GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK.’ Practice a little purposeful patience and persistence, and love yourself along the way.