Your 3 Magic Keys to Unlock Your Higher Purpose

People are basically motivated by two things -- pain and pleasure. They are either moving away from pain or moving toward pleasure. People generally are motivated to move more quickly when they are in pain, then move more slowly toward pleasure. The ultimate motivator in the long run is your happiness. The only true way to get motivated is to determine what makes you the most happy! Happiness can be defined as contentment, fulfillment, satisfaction, enjoyment and pleasure.

What makes you happiest is living your own dream. You will never achieve your full motivation if you are living someone else’s dream for you. Your dream can also be defined as your “higher purpose.” You must find your own higher purpose. Your higher purpose comes from your innermost core. In Eastern philosophy your core is defined as your chi. Chi is your life force – life energy – where your power is derived. When you are “living who you are” you will be your most motivated self.

To know your higher purpose, simply think about what you would like to leave as a legacy. What would you like to leave the world when you are gone? What would you most like to have others say about you when you are gone? What words do you want to have defined your life? How do you want to be remembered?

First, you need to determine who you really are and what your higher purpose is. Then you need to determine what it is you really want. There must be passion behind your desire or you will not get enough “lift” to pursue it and attain it.

The three magic keys to unlock your hidden motivation are your “VEE.” VEE stands for Values, Enjoyment, and Empowerment. The root word in values is “val” which means “inspire.” The three magic keys have to do with being, doing and having. And they must be done in this order in order to remain successful.

1. Values: Values are what you truly believe in -- what is most important to you -- your life force. Values are what inspire you to live, grow, love and learn. The word “inspire” means “in spirit.” Your personal values are who you are deep down. You need to become aware of who you are -- your authentic self -- in order to become motivated! Remember, your goals need to reflect YOUR own values, not those of OTHERS. Do not base your goals on what you think your family, friends, peers, teachers, society, or country want for you! Base them on what you want for you, as long as you aren’t hurting any of the above in the process. Values are the being part of your process.

2. Enjoyment: You will be motivated by things you enjoy, or those things which bring you joy. Some of these things can be good for you and some of them can be bad for you. Hopefully your values of goodness and healthiness will overcome the desire to do things which may be fun, but will harm you in the long run (such as over-using drugs or alcohol). The root word in enjoyment is “joy.” Do that which brings you the most joy. Just keep in mind that what brings you the most joy in life will require a great deal of work on your part. The word “work” doesn’t have to have a negative connotation! Those who love their art also love the practice. You may not like the work involved at first, but over time it can become quite enjoyable. Many people surprisingly find that the process is more enjoyable than the attainment of their goal. Enjoyment is the doing part of the process.

3. Empowerment: Lastly, you will be motivated by empowerment. When you are empowered you feel strong, confident, safe and secure. Empowerment is validation from yourself and the world that you have done something great. And it feels great! It has to do with how you see yourself in relation to others, your place in the world, how others see you, your relationships to others and your interpersonal needs. Empowerment is the having part of your process.

The Power of Commitment

For change to be lasting there needs to be a strong level of commitment. Commitment is what transforms a promise, hope, dream or goal into reality. If you are serious about achieving your goals, dreams and desires, you must commit to them one hundred percent. How do you develop this kind of total commitment or “definiteness of purpose,” as Napoleon Hill calls it? You need to make achievement of your goals a must. It MUST be a MUST. You must move past wishful thinking such as, “it would be nice if…” and “I would love it if…” and “my life would be great if…” You must move on to “mustful” thinking. If you cannot “muster” up a “must” attitude about your goal, it probably isn’t a very passionate one. If there’s no passion, what’s the point? Keep it as a wish or fantasy if you’d like, but just be aware that it is just a wish and not a goal.

Many people fear commitment because they think it will restrict them or shut them in. We would like to have options. We want freedom to make our own choices and change our minds whenever we want. We are reluctant to make verbal commitments for fear people will hold us to that standard and be disappointed in us if we do not live up to it. Here is the irony in commitment: commitment brings freedom! Commitment to your higher purpose brings you focus, purpose, power and freedom. You will become free of obligations and barriers that once got in your way. You will become free of self-sabotages. You will become free of binds, confusion and ambivalence. Making a commitment actually frees you up to be yourself and live more fully. You are much more likely to get the life of your dreams when you make and keep commitments!

Ask yourself these three questions about your commitments:

1. What three things am I most committed to in my life?

2. How are these commitments aligned with my higher purpose?

3. What did I do today that supports my commitments?

10 Ways to Achieve Your Higher Purpose

1) Start with the end goal in mind. Make sure it is what you VALUE, will bring you ENJOYMENT, and cause you to feel EMPOWERED.

2) Develop a clear and easy picture of what you want to accomplish. President Kennedy’s goal “to send a man to the moon and bring him safely back home within this decade,” was simple, but definite.

3) Write it down – COMMIT to it!

4) Break the job into measurable steps with completion dates.

5) Enlist the support of others – go public with your goals.

6) Get a coach. Even friends and/or family can serve as advisors to report progress to.

7) Enlist a team to help each other reach goals. An example of this would be a book writing group. You may each be working on a different book, but the others can assist you on format, etc… and vice versa.

8) Keep allies on your side and enemies at bay.

9) Celebrate your progress – reward yourself.

10) Thank those who have helped you along the way.