My whole life, I have been a searcher. What have I been searching for? Everything. All the deep questions of the Universe and more. But mostly, I have been searching for the answer to one of life's biggest questions: why am I here and what mark am I going to leave on this world? I have always taken this question very seriously. I mean, doesn't everyone want to leave the world a better place because they lived? Well, maybe not everyone, but at least everyone should.
I think I am one of the lucky few who knew early on in my life what my passions and callings were. I am a teacher by nature -- and I don't always mean in the traditional sense. Yes, I am a professor who does teach in the classroom, but sometimes the teaching I do outside of the classroom walls is the most meaningful to me. For example, one of the things that I love so much about being a mom is having such a huge part in creating two human beings from the very first day of their lives. I get to teach them about the world, help them discover themselves and help set them up in life so they can leave their own unique impression on the world. But whether I'm teaching my kids, my students, my friends or strangers, I have always known that my life purpose is centered around teaching. I am lucky that I know this.
As I got older, I realized that I was unusual. Most people I know don't really know what their purpose is, and it doesn't matter how old they are. I know this because I ask people about it. I am a naturally curious person, and so I always ask people questions about themselves and their life. It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't have any answers. It makes me feel bad for them, and I always try to find ways to help.
One thing that I have noticed is that the core problem for most people is that they don't know themselves. When I ask people questions about their thoughts or behavior, many times their response is "I don't know." And I sometimes think, "If you don't know, then who does?"
And then it hit me. Maybe if people got in touch with their inner selves, then they would be able to discover their purpose. I am not a therapist, but I sometimes think that most people would benefit by having someone help them discover who they really are. But unfortunately, at least 75 percent of the population have a negative impression of therapy. They think that if they need someone else's help, then that is admitting that they are damaged or broken. I think that is wildly untrue. No one is perfect, and everyone can benefit from having a caring person help you along your life's journey. In fact, I think it takes a strong person to take that first step toward improving themselves.
Let me tell you about someone who is passionate about helping people do just that. His name is Dr. Sean Sullivan, and he is a clinical psychologist in San Francisco. He and I connected earlier this year when I came across his work. I read his first book, The Mind Master's Silent Journey and watched his educational videos. I was so impressed with his work that decided to contact him to see if I could re-publish his one of his videos on ABetterMeMagazine.com, a website where I am the editor. From there, I learned about his upcoming book, Be Your Purpose, and his online program at BeYourPupose.com.
In only a few months, Sean and I have become comrades of sorts because we both have a passion for helping people find themselves, and their life purpose. So when I heard about his program, I knew I had to experience it for myself. In our conversations, I have learned so much about the 10-step program that he created to use with his patients, and how he has now turned it into something even bigger -- an online program that can help anyone around the world, not just people in San Francisco.
You see, I've seen it over and over -- with my students, friends, colleagues and pretty much everyone I talk to. Most people either don't know their purpose, or are only able to solve part of the puzzle. Through knowing Sean, I have come to realize that if everyone could truly see and understand the whole issue they are dealing with rather than only the small parts, they may actually improve their lives. He calls this process "creating a personal map of your Inner World."
The idea is that anyone who chooses to do so can learn, and take the correct steps, to build an actual map of their inner world -- of their SELF. They can actually learn to close their eyes and see the map. And when you know your own map, you can avoid the obstacles that prevent you from making headway in your life toward the things you want -- especially toward being your purpose.
Dr. Sean is also an expert in brain science, and he helps people incorporate these principles into their lives. He says that once you have a personal map of your inner world, the brain science and psychology is so good that you are now in a position to learn how to be efficient and strategic about making changes to your life -- developing a new, healthier, happier lifestyle and again ... being your purpose.
But it is far easier to build a map of your inner world if you take sequential steps. In fact, depending on how you learn, it is often more effective to begin by learning the ten steps of Be Your Purpose than to begin by talking about your problems to a therapist as a way to try to heal and make personal changes. According to Dr. Sean, it's helpful to get some education first in order to really benefit from therapy. He says, "In general, people don't really know what the process of therapy is all about when they come to see me. So getting this background about how you work -- by building your own map -- provides a framework to begin therapy."
Let me close this article by telling you something about myself: I am not easily impressed. In other words, it takes something (or someone) that is truly unique and adds some deep value to the world to get my attention. So the fact that I am telling you about Dr. Sean and Be Your Purpose says a lot. I know his program can help so many people who are struggling, and that's why I wrote this article. I want to help people just as much as he does. So if you are one of those people who is still trying to find yourself, why not give BeYourPurpose.com a try? You have absolutely nothing to lose, and everything to find ... yourself and your purpose.