Richard Leider, a leading authority and author of numerous books on how to find your purpose in life wrote in The Power of Purpose:

If our purpose is genuine enough, it involves us deeply and orders all areas of our life. We begin to eliminate what is irrelevant and what is so much clutter. A simplification takes place, and we achieve a clarity as to what we're about. We don't need to pretend to be what we're not. What is of real importance stands out more clearly.

As success coaches, we hear a lot of stories of from those who take this advice to heart. Here’s one we want to share with you to illustrate you how once you answer the question “What is my purpose?”, the steps you need to take to achieve it becomes very clear. As Leider so eloquently said, we begin to eliminate what is irrelevant.

How It Changed Everything for This Successful Business Owner

This entrepreneur owned a successful real estate business. Though she loved her profession, it wasn’t a burning desire. What she really wanted to do was write; she’d known that since she was a small child. Realizing that she’d always loved the ocean, she wanted to live someplace where she could see it day in and day out. Her third goal was to travel.

However, everything she was doing in life was taking her away from what her real passions. For example, living in a land-locked, cosmopolitan city with no ocean near and owning investment properties, left very little time to escape to an ocean view retreat, much less the flexibility to travel for months at a time.

The Value of Having a Plan

One day, she sat down and wrote out her life plan. Upon seeing in black and white that she was working against herself on almost every level, she decided to make some drastic changes.

She sold her real estate holdings, started an online business that gave her the flexibility to work from anywhere and settled on a small Caribbean island where she wrote every day.

Now, this didn’t happen overnight. She decided to live a “lower standard” of living than she had before. While her friends and family thought she’d lost her mind on some level, she had never been happier.

Stress: The Silent Killer

It’s worth noting that one dangerous drawback of not “living your life on purpose” is stress, also known as the silent killer. It is a major contributing factor – directly and/or indirectly – to a whole host of diseases. Among them are coronary artery disease, cancer, respiratory disorders, cirrhosis of the liver, as well as, the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S, suicide.

Our entrepreneur lost 30 pounds without really trying and felt more content as a result of reducing stress.

She not only asked the question, “what is my purpose in life,” she answered it and took definitive action. This is what Leider meant when he said when you know your purpose -- a simplification takes place . . . what is of real importance stands out more clearly.

Success: The Easy Part of Living Your Life on Purpose

We can tell you from experience, success will become much more likely when you live your life on purpose. When you own passions fuel your very spirit, your heart, your soul, your being, the energy required to do what you may have previously thought impossible, is self-perpetuating!

So, spend some time shining a light inside you to reveal your purpose in life – and get busy pursuing it. It’s a choice you’ll never regret. Our entrepreneur’s story is one of many we have witnessed many times in our work.  We would love to hear about yours!

Celebrating Your Unique Genius!

Lori and Shari

PS. A great place to start is to discover your Top 5 Strengths!  click HERE.