Finding Purpose by Dr. Veronica Ufoegbune

“You are your own’s greatest asset!”

Finding purpose!  My mantra is to invest in what it means to you to “look good, to make you feel good, and makes you do good”.

What is “purpose” …?

• Purpose as the noun is the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists: “the purpose of the meeting is to appoint a trustee “Similar concepts to motive, motivation, grounds, cause.  (Google)

• “Purpose” as a verb is to have as one's intention or objective.

• A spiritual connotation of “purpose” states that “God has allowed suffering, even purposed it.”

Now that we have the facts, the questions emerge: “why, where, when, how, who which way, and so on…is my purpose...? Do your self-love…? Do you take time to hear you…?, Have you accepted you…?, Did you know that your purpose is deep down there once you liberate self?, Who is doing it for you…?, What brings you joy, fulfillment, contentment…?, What inspires you to action…?. What is your daily purpose, periodic purpose, SPIRITUAL, academic, financial purpose, LIFE, local, community, global purpose…and on?

A conundrum of thoughts clouds your mind when you reflect on the topic of “purpose”, you sort, prioritize, create what makes sense. Worthy of note is that your experience defines your purpose. Purpose in life brings up thoughts about your cause in life, occasions, reasons, point, basis, justification, intentions, aim, objective, goals, plans, scheme, target, ambition, aspiration, desires, wishes, HOPE, advantage, benefit, good, usefulness, values, merit, worth, gain, profit, avail, result, outcome, effect, and raison d’etre”, [reason for existence].

A little about finding my own purpose.  My middle name “Ifechide”, is of the Enuani – Nigerian Language; it means “what God has written down”, which we define generally as the “Child of Destiny”. My grandmother said both loudly to all who would listen and periodically whispers it into my left ear that I was a child of destiny, you will conquer, lead, change the world here at home and in the “white people’s land”, she predicted in our EnuAni language. I journeyed from Lagos, Nigeria to California three decades ago as a graduate of the University of Benin, Nigeria with high hopes of achieving the best life possible in my new home. I am privileged to write this blog today in what my grandmother described as the “white people’s land” with a masters from the prestigious Mills College in Oakland, California, a doctorate in educational leadership, administration and policy from an A+ highly revered University, Pepperdine University, Malibu in Southern California, a past Human Services city manager, a past executive director of early learning in an ivy league university in California, a California Governors’ appointee(https://www.ca.gov/archive/gov39/2018/02/12/governor-brown-announces-appointments-12/index.html), and more, and now a new BLOGGER-wow! So, have I achieved my purpose? My response is “wow”! Inside of me, I say that fulfilling one’s purpose is a journey, a marathon and not a sprint. It is infinite, it is a continuum; you start with many steps in various spectra of your life daily, you reach a plateau, you drop some, you celebrate some or lament a non-success, then you begin a new climb. Purpose is a spectrum of beginnings, treks up and down, sideways and corners, ups and downs, celebrations, and challenges triggering many new starts, pauses and continuums. And some trends drop as life emerges daily with new steps to take. Maslow’s law drives survival, therefore, we do what gives life to us daily. In it all, remember to Breath, Drink Water, Smile, Forgive, Reflect, LISTEN more, TALK less, as it is said that SILENCE is golden. Explore your interests, life is short, make the best of every moment, Hug loved ones (Covid-19 household definition-adherence now important! ), Say I love you to those you love, patience is healthy, FORGIVE to take the weight off and spread the love to yourself and others-try this one it really works! Eat healthy and Live healthy-take a walk and walk like it is your last walk-Enjoy-pamper yourself, dance to the music, sing like you are in the showers-no worries who is listening, give self-joy and see how joy spreads, practice random acts of kindness, and remember it is not all about money, it could be as simple as letting someone change lanes without screaming “curse words” or speeding up or as simple as picking up the piece of paper to throw it in a recycle can near you, or yes tipping well. Be well, Be happy, Change the world for better, and remember, change the world one at a time creates a lasting ripple effect, and most of all: let the change begin with me- “you”. Yes-You! Each of us drives the change within!

What is your purpose? Define it for yourself. You create your road map, your playbook-Yes You Can! A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Live your BEST LIFE Daily!

Peace

Warmest Regards,

Dr. Veronica Ufoegbune