Tuesday, August 21, 2012

50 Links That Will Help You Find Your Life’s Purpose



Whether you’re 15 or 50, trying to figure out what you want to do with your life is an intimidating challenge and one that doesn’t always lend itself to easy answers. Finding a passion, doing fulfilling work, making a difference in the world, and discovering the things that make us most successful and happy are all chief concerns in most of our lives, but they’re not always goals that are easily attainable. For some, finding a life purpose can be very difficult and sometimes downright discouraging, but with the right support and guidance it certainly doesn’t need to be an impossible feat. We’ve collected some excellent resources, from videos to reading material to essential web reading, that can help you define and fulfill your purpose in life, whatever it may be.

Video

These videos are a short and sweet way to get some inspiration and motivation to find your life’s purpose.
  1. Rick Warren on a life of purposeAuthor and speaker Rick Warren explains his religious beliefs and shares his own crisis of purpose in this short talk.
  2. Finding Your Life’s PurposeGet some guidance on finding your purpose in life from Eckhart Tolle through this DVD program that asks you to free yourself from dissatisfaction with your life and to connect to a universal consciousness.
  3. Richard St. John’s 8 secrets of successThe pursuit of purpose and success have many places where they overlap. In this short talk, you’ll hear from analyst Richard St. John on the basics of success like ideas, service, persistence, and passion.
  4. Matt Cutts: Try something new for 30 days:Having trouble finding purpose and direction in your life? Follow the advice of Matt Cutts and try out something new and interesting for 30 days. You never know, it might just be a perfect fit.
  5. Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better workIf you’re unfulfilled in your work, there’s got to be a reason why. Shawn Achor thinks that work should make us happy, and that happiness should inspire us to work.
  6. Tony Robbins asks why we do what we doWell-known speaker Tony Robbins shares a no-nonsense talk on the invisible forces that motivate every individual’s actions here, offering insights into how to attain the things we all want most in our lives.
  7. Dan Ariely asks, “Are we in control of our own decisions?“: Feeling out of control? To a certain degree, we’re all out of control, Ariely explains, letting our emotions push us toward irrational, unwise decisions that can take us in a direction quite different than where we want to go.
  8. Matthieu Ricard on the habits of happinessBuddhist monk Matthieu Ricard explains how to train your mind to be happy, giving you a greater sense of serenity and fulfillment.
  9. Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds:If you need some inspiration that you’re good enough to do what you love and that it’s really possible, hear from Temple Grandin as she explains the need for all kinds of thinkers and doers in the world.
  10. Create a Life with PurposeThis video from Harvard Business School features professor and author Clay Christensen as he discusses the need to follow through on your commitments in order to create a life with purpose.

Books

Books are excellent places to find guidance on everything, including life itself. Here are just a few of the best on finding purpose and taking charge of your life.
  1. The Seed: Finding Purpose and Happiness in Life and Work by Jon Gordon: Have you ever felt disenchanted with your job and wanted to take time off to figure out if your job was really right for you? That’s just what Jon Gordon did. Read about his journey and learn about how to find meaning and passion in your work.
  2. The Life You Were Born to Live: A Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose by Dan Millman: If you’re looking for some spiritual (and a little bit mystical) guidelines for finding your purpose, then check out this deep read by Dan Millman.
  3. Your Life on Purpose: How to Find What Matters and Create the Life You Want by Matthew McKay, John P. Forsyth, and Georg H. Eifert: Don’t just bumble through life; this book will show you how to live a purposeful life that isn’t weighed down by self-doubt and judgment and allows you to connect with your true passions.
  4. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle: This Oprah Book Club selection is a popular read and offers readers guidance on living in the now, finding happiness, and attaining a fulfilling existence.
  5. Aspire: Discovering Your Purpose Through the Power of Words by Kevin Hall:Words, even simple ones, carry a lot of power. Through this book, you’ll learn to change your vocabulary and to think and speak in a way that helps you to become more positive, successful, and fulfilled.
  6. S.H.A.P.E.: Finding and Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose for Life by Erik Rees: Those looking for some religious-based guidance on finding their purpose should check out this book that directs readers to look at their own passions, talents, temperaments, and gifts to find purpose.
  7. What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren:Author of The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren returns with this book, offering his insights into just what it is you’re here on Earth to do.
  8. The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life by Os Guinness: Another religiously focused work, this book addresses what God’s call is for you in your life and how you can fulfill that calling in your work and actions throughout life.
  9. The Path to Purpose: How Young People Find Their Calling in Life by William Damon: With the job market in flux and college prices rising ever higher, it can be harder than ever for young people to figure out what to do with their lives. This book offers some guidance, explaining the importance of finding a purpose and following through with fulfilling it.
  10. The Purpose of Your Life: Finding Your Place In The World Using Synchronicity, Intuition, And Uncommon Sense by Carol Adrienne and James Redfield: Learn how to use your intuition to find your purpose in life through this book that promises greater success, satisfaction, and serenity.
  11. The Saint, The Surfer, and the CEO: A Remarkable Story About Living Your Heart’s Desiresby Robin Sharma: Are you really living your passion? Learn lessons from this book to help you find happiness in all aspects of life, manage stress, and find a powerful vision for your future.
  12. End the Struggle and Dance with Life by Susan Jeffers: Learn how to feel calmer, more in control, and more excited about all that life has to offer with the help of Susan Jeffers.

Blog Posts

Do some deep thinking on your life purpose with the help of these educational and inspirational blog posts.
  1. Life on Purpose: 15 Questions to Discover Your Personal MissionTake this quick quiz from Think Simple Now to start figuring out what your personal mission in life really is.
  2. Why It’s Hard To Find Your “Life Purpose” In Today’s WorldFinding your life’s purpose in today’s world is increasingly hard, explains Psychology Today author Dr. Douglas LaBier, so don’t worry if you’re struggling: you’re not alone.
  3. How to Discover Your Life Purpose in About 20 MinutesProductivity and personal development guru Steve Pavlina offers up his take on how to puzzle out what you’re meant to do in life in just 20 minutes.
  4. How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose – 7 Questions to Ask:If you’re unsure about your life’s purpose, maybe you’re just not asking yourself the right questions. Here, Dumb Little Man posits seven that are essential to figuring out your life.
  5. 17 Quotes That Will Help You Discover Your Life’s PurposeOprah’s staff shares some amazingly inspirational quotes that will help you to figure out who you want to be in life.
  6. 7 Keys to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Today:At The Change Blog, you can read this article that asks some simple but important questions in determining your life’s purpose.
  7. Discover Your Life’s Purpose in Around 20 Minutes — or NotLifehacker also offers a method for quickly determining your life purpose, but it may not work for everyone.
  8. Why You’re Still Stuck Trying To Find Your Life Purpose:The Wayfinder Post explains in this great article why you may be struggling to find a purpose in life, illuminating some of the biggest myths and misunderstandings about life purpose.
  9. The Benefits of Finding Your Life’s Purpose:Here you’ll find a list of 10 reasons why finding your life purpose can help you, from helping you to be more successful to offering self-confidence.
  10. How do you find your purpose?:This video and blog post offer up some helpful advice on how to find and work toward your life purpose.
  11. Life’s Purpose for the “Multi-Passionate”Some people love too many things to ever stick to doing just one for a lifetime, which can make it hard to pin down a life purpose. This blog post suggests that you don’t have to pin down one purpose and can work on many throughout your life.
  12. 10 Things to Know About Your Life PurposeHere you’ll find some revealing truths about finding and living your life purpose.
  13. Life Purpose May Help Reduce Heart Attack RiskFinding your life purpose isn’t just key to your mental health; it can also have a serious impact on your physical health, as this article explains.
  14. Top 10 Definitive Life purpose ResourcesLooking for more resources to help you to find your life’s purpose? You’ll find some great ones through this blog post.

Resources

From quizzes to life coaching, these resources will help you to get the help and support you need in your journey of personal discovery.
  1. The One QuestionThis site focuses on answering one question: what should I do with my life? To help you find the answer, the site offers e-books, quizzes, and articles in abundance.
  2. Higher AwarenessLearn how to know yourself and grow yourself through this blog and personal development site.
  3. Passion Meets PurposeLife coach Kammie offers some free advice on life and work through this blog and newsletter, as well as providing links to some very useful resources.
  4. Life on Purpose InstituteLooking for some guidance on bringing greater meaning and purpose into your life? That’s what this site is all about! Use it to find help, reading material, and more.
  5. Your Life Purpose BlogThis blog shares a wealth of inspirational quotes, articles, and spiritual materials to help you connect with your purpose.
  6. Life Purpose AppBring your life purpose quest with you anywhere you go with this app. Built around author Dan Millman’s book The Life You Were Born to Live, the app uses your birthday and year to help you figure out your hidden calling.
  7. LivingYourPurpose.netHead to this site to find a number of useful resources that can help you better live the life you were meant to live.
  8. Life Purpose PlanningYou’ll find coaching and advice aplenty to help you figure out your purpose, with a religious take on some of the big questions in life.
  9. Talking PurposeThis blog is full of amazing articles about purpose and work, with interviews and advice from a wide range of individuals.

Feeds

If you like your inspiration in 140 characters or less, head to Twitter to read tweets from these gurus.
  1. @PurposefullLifeGet inspiration to love, laugh, and inspire others through this feed, with loads of tweets about living a purpose-filled life.
  2. @PosPositiveFind great quotes, links to articles, and other positive, inspirational fare on this feed.
  3. @RickWarrenWe’ve mentioned books and videos by this purpose guru, but here you can connect with the author and speaker himself.
  4. @tonyrobbinsThis is the official feed of Tony Robbins. On it, fans can find quotes, articles, and even advice on getting motivated and finding success.
  5. @DeepakChopra:For many, finding purpose is a spiritual journey. Find guidance in that journey from guru and author Deepak Chopra here.

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