Finding My Purpose and What it Means to Me
By: Jacob DiCello
Has anyone ever asked you what your purpose in life is? Perhaps, like many of you, being caught off guard with a question like that made me freeze up. I did not have a good answer. As a matter of fact, I did not have an answer at all. For those of you that know me, you are well aware that it is rare for me to have no answer at all. This question hit me like a ton of bricks in a meeting amongst my peers when Rosy flat out asked me, “What is your purpose in life?”
As this uneasy, timid, mind-boggling feeling came over me, I thought to myself, how dare she put me on the spot like this?! I felt distressed as my mind raced. I fretted over silly things like, what the heck is my purpose in life? Do I even have a purpose in life? What if I discover my purpose in life, and it’s lame? When I do realize my purpose in life, then what’s next? Will my life be over or possibly worse; am I going to be forced out of my “ignorance-is-bliss” comfort zone? [If you are freaking out as I did, it’s ok; inhale quietly through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds and repeat. Once that is done, please keep reading.]
What happens next?
Since that time, I have attended an 8-hour class on finding my purpose in life, but I have been fortunate enough to be invited to assist Sara in teaching the course and have spent many hours pondering and researching my purpose. Now I have been asked to write an article about finding one’s purpose in life and what it means to me. I have recently been working on finding my purpose and helping others find their purpose. By encouraging others to support their peers in finding their purpose, I have realized that finding one’s purpose in life is not scary, difficult, or mind crippling. It does not cause uneasiness or timidness. Finding my purpose in life has three special meanings to me.
First of all, it means living my best life by identifying my special gift(s) and stopping at nothing to share it/them with the world. Secondly, it means connecting with others by recognizing and drawing out the gifts that they possess and appreciating and applauding them for sharing those gifts with me. Tertiarily, it’s simply a fun, neat, diverse, ever-evolving, mind-opening, feel-good adventure.
We should be proud to work for an organization that cares enough about its family to use its resources to seek each associated person’s purpose in life. How awesome is that!? Tobosa is not solely asking as a fleeting fancy, but instead demanding that we all give 110 percent effort in this endeavor, not only for ourselves but also for those around us. Before you are put on the spot, I encourage everyone to ask yourself, “What is my purpose in life?” (If you are associated with Tobosa, prepare yourself, I guarantee this question is in your near future).
Do not be alarmed if you can not answer right away.
Ponder it; ask those around you. You may be quite surprised at what they see. Sometimes we do things blindly and project them without even realizing it ourselves, and it takes another person to recognize those gifts you have to offer. Now enough with the small talk people, vamonos, I have a gift to share, and so do you!
