5 Questions to Help You Find Your Life Purpose

Your passion can point towards your North Star.

Marilyn Flower’s writing prompts often are right on cue for me, especially this week. She wrote an article titled What is Your True North? Look to the Compass of Your Heart: it’s never too late to discover what makes your soul sing!

And may I say, it hit a chord with me?

I read the quote she includes from Elizabeth Berg, My inside self and my outside self used to match. A compass needle pointed true north. Now the needle spins around and around, indicating the sad direction of nowhere.

Yikes, the sad direction of nowhere sounds like they lost the North Star to me.

The North Star or Polaris has special meaning for me.

Because I grew up on a homestead in Alaska. Yep, I can still sing the Alaska state song, which celebrates the flag shown above and the meaning of the North Star.

The brilliant stars in the northern sky, The “Bear,” the “Dipper,” and shining high, The great North Star with its steady light, O’er land and sea a beacon bright.—words by Marie Drake

I remember singing that song every morning in school as we gazed at that North Star and I was taught it was the one to look for if you were lost in the wilderness.

Every child on an Alaskan homestead needed that knowledge backed up with the fact that more moss grows on the north side of the tree.

And I wondered, how much does our life purpose, our True North, our compass—change throughout the course of our lives? If we lose our life purpose, can we find ourselves if we look for our North Star?

People don’t change much after two years old.

Seriously. I really think this is true. Do you have children or grandchildren that you know very well? Think back to what they liked to do as small kids, what their personality was like—and what do you see? A lot of similarities, I’ll bet. So that leads to my theory; look back in time and you’ll find your North Star.

What imaginary game did you like to play as a child?

Who did you want to be? Of course, we’re influenced by our parents, T.V. characters, and books, but who we gravitate to is important. I have five grown children, and I can see how their lives followed the path of those childhood games.

Take a moment and think about who you pretended to be. Did you dress up as that character? Imagine that you were really them?

What were your favorite books or television shows?

Were there certain books you read again and again? What show most captured your attention? Was it sports or music? Did you aspire to copy feats of daring or become a dancer?

Now, have you left those loves behind? What do you feel when you think of those long-ago loves? Often those early interests reveal a lot about us, things we may have ignored for many years.

Is there a hobby or activity that you return to over and over again?

For me, it’s been dogs, children, books, nature, and plants. Over and over again, no matter how many times I switch careers (yes, there have been a few), I still end with some iteration of the things I’ve loved as long as I can remember.

And I am happiest when I don’t ignore the yearnings of my heart.

What are those interests or hobbies that keep calling to you?

What games or activities did you do with your childhood friends?

Did you play baseball or Monopoly? Rides bikes, create a garage band or did you and your buddies start a dog washing service by the time you were 10? If you enjoyed doing a favorite activity with friends, it often seems a sign of enduring interest.

Think about those perhaps long-ago days and what you spent your free time doing. I’ll bet there are clues buried there.

How did you spend your money?

Yes, I know most of us wanted cool clothes and junk food. But what were you willing to save up for? Sacrifice to get? Horseback riding lessons or a to-die-for collection of LPs?

Again, looking back to when we were perhaps more self-centered will give us clues to finding our North Star.

Is it just me or did you find connections to your child-like self?

We all know that not every child can explore, play, and follow their fancy wherever it will lead. But, when they can, I believe they’ll follow their North Star.

And if we’re feeling a bit lost, a bit lacking in passion, let’s give it a try. Find the Big Dipper, look up from the corner of the spout, and there it is! Do you see it? If not, you can always look for moss on the north side of the tree!

Can you rekindle the pleasure of play you used to enjoy? I believe it will bring your joy.

It would be fun to hear some stories of when you were a kid. Did you play with Hula Hoops or Slinkies? Scrabble or Twister? Please take me back to the olden days with you, and let’s find our passion.

Cindy has been a farmer, teacher, bookstore owner, and writer. Sign up here for her brief Writer Weekly updates from Dripping Springs, Texas.