Want to re-energize? Make purpose choices that scare you a little.
If we want a more robust sense of purpose, we probably need to shift something in our status quo. More than likely, this means doing something different and new, which, if you’re like me, is scary. Or terrifying (depending).
I have no problem telling you that I’m a scaredy cat and I resist doing anything where I risk humiliation, exposure, or bodily injury. But purpose can over-ride my default “nope” when I call up the satisfaction and even joy of personal growth that comes with living out my inner Compass (values, strengths, sources of personal meaning). It helps to be reminded that many people who are way more accomplished than I, like artist Georgia O’Keefe, live with a fear-default too. When I can sufficiently mobilize this fear-override to take a small step, I experience an energy boost and am a wee bit more confident about future possibilities. Read more on this site about the benefits of taking on a challenge.
This comes to mind as I am working with my daughter Allison at Sunny Pictures to develop and implement a social media strategy to share information on purpose in life with a larger audience, including this website. I haven’t used tools like Facebook or Instagram before and feel like a “missed the memo” as to why I would bother. This project scares me – mostly that I’ll embarrass myself. However, with every new step forward I get a little giddy and motivated to continue to move into this new space. If you want to participate in my grand experiment, please follow me on Facebook and Instagram
This process reminds me how insulated from taking risks I can become as I get older. When we’re launching a career or a family, life requires us to walk headlong into new roles and activities – fearful or not. But as I’m approaching retirement, I find that there are fewer scenarios in which I’m obliged to step into the new and so it’s easy to avoid the discomfort. But this is harmful to living fully and so that’s why I’m intentionally looking for ways to practice a little risk-taking in the purpose direction.
We all know something that calls us, if we are brave and still enough to notice. Something we want to do because it delights us or because we know it must be done. You know what that thing is for you. The hard part is often taking a small risk to move towards what calls us and I’m here to testify: do it anyway. The world needs us engaged in our purpose pursuits and we deserve the joy and satisfaction that results.
What about you? Where do you feel a nudge to move forward but fear talks you out of it? What’s the small risk you might take this week?
Onward!