On Purpose - Letter #1

A new reflective series on the age old topic keeping everyone up at night.

If you would prefer to listen to this post a la podcast instead of reading it, play my voiceover above <3

Hey friends,

It’s easy to feel disillusioned when we feel we’ve lost our sense of purpose. When you’ve lost your why, that can rapidly become who am I?

Purpose is defined as “…the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists” among other definitions (image below). It’s the be all and end all of the fibre of our beings. Without it, joie de vivre is near impossible. And when we are far from it, we always know it.

Now let’s be clear. Purpose looks different for everyone - and it also sometimes looks like trial, heartbreak and error. But when you find yourself in difficult situations - a job or dream that feels like it’s going no where, a relationship that feels different to how you hoped it would, family chaos etc - that doesn’t necessarily mean what you’re going through isn’t purposed (read: a mistake). I’m a Christian so I believe that everything has purpose and nothing is wasted.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (NIV)

So how do you hold on to that belief when it really feels like life sucks or parts of yours have been a waste?

I’m not new to that feeling. As a doctor, award-winning creative and more - I may seem like I have a lot more figured out than the next person. But I don’t. I have struggled deeply with some of my choices, have harboured resentment at how much my career choice (medicine) has taken away from me (time, health, joy, peace), have felt ‘behind’ and more lost than ever at times. I still struggle sometimes but something that is helping is a change in perspective. A new awareness that what I’m doing right now is a building block and a step towards my wider purpose but is not necessarily the purpose.

I know. It’s giving mind blown right? But seriously, track this with me: what if the place of discomfort, stress and feeling lost right now is not the end goal but the means to the end? When you have this mind set, you have a far reaching perspective that keeps you from drowning in the present circumstance. You become visionary. Your endurance grows. You worry less. You believe in more. You stop making excuses not to show up on time for your own life because you begin to hold the mantra that if it were easy, every one would do it closely.

Phew. IKDR!

Ready to grow?

Join me in this new series on my musings and lessons on the big P. Every letter will feature a challenge and a journal prompt so if you haven’t been journalling for a while, it’s time to get yours off the shelf because we’re in for a journey!

Your journal prompt: Try and think back to a time you felt connected to your purpose. How did it feel, and what were you doing? What emotions did you feel inside?

Your challenge for the week: Spend 10 minutes one day this week doing a sitting or lying meditation. For many of us, meditation may seem like a vague concept but it’s so powerful for tuning in to your present and gaining mental clarity. All you need to do is find somewhere quiet, set your timer to 10min and sit/lie comfortably. Try to focus on your present, the sounds and smells around you, your body position, what you can physically and emotionally feel in that time. Your mind will wander - that’s normal. If you would like to play music, here is a great playlist I use on Spotify

I’ll write to you again soon. Until then and at any point in the future, I would love to hear from you! Do you feel connected to your purpose right now? What has been your journey and/or relationship with purpose? Has anything in this letter resonated with a current struggle for you too, perhaps? Or maybe you’d like to share what journalling brought up for you. My email is open: hello@sanaaishere.com

Have a good week.

Love,

Sanaa