by Michelle L. Casto

    Your life purpose answers two essential questions: Who do I want to be? and What do I want to do?

    When we are living from our true soul’s purpose, we feel more alive- filled with excitement, joy, and inner peace- in a word "contentment." We are more connected to one another as human beings and more content with who we are and what we do. When we are "on purpose" we tap into a higher power, we have supernatural support! The best things in life seem to be naturally attracted to us. When we are not on purpose, we try to do it all alone! We grasp at straws, everything looks good- whether it is a new job, going to school, moving, finding another lover- anything to fill the void of the extreme emptiness we feel inside. Not being on purpose leads to constant seeking- external things to make you feel more fulfilled. Being on purpose leads to effortless contentment- an internal peace with what is unfolding in your life. You have a feeling of "all is right with the world" and I have an important part to play!

    Every human being has the universal purpose of learning how to love more. Every human being has his or her unique purpose of helping to heal our planet and other people. Planet Earth is the ultimate university for our souls, where you have the task of learning your lessons, showing love, and sharing gifts.

    You can evolve yourself by understanding, accepting, and taking action to live out your universal and unique life purposes. You were born to do something specific. A role and opportunity was entrusted to you and you alone. If you don’t know your life purpose, you are still a diamond in the rough. Discovering one’s life purpose is like cutting a diamond. Every gem quality diamond has within it a ready-made design, waiting to be discovered. So do you. The secret is to discover and actualize your unique pattern. Like a diamond needs to be excavated to have worth, you have to dig deep within yourself to discover your unique life purpose.

• Lasts a lifetime, shaping you from birth to death, and usu- ally doesn’t change.

• Is bigger than you, connecting you to others and allowing you to share your gifts with the world.

• Supports your values and beliefs, providing you an op- portunity to excavate your hopes, dreams, aspirations and bringing them to the light of awareness.

• Provides structure for what you will be and do during your lifetime, you achieve maximum performance + satis- faction, experience less-stress, and enjoy more meaning and authenticity.

• Is the theme of your life story, giving you more freedom to decide how to live out your personal and professional roles.

    As Thomas Edison once said, "If we all did the things we were capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." To reach this place of soulful purpose, an inner shift must first occur. Change starts on the inside, and as you awaken to the real part you are meant to play, you will develop confidence in knowing who you are meant to be and what you are meant to do in the world. You will develop awareness of how big and bright you really are. You will then begin to accept your part, articulating it to yourself and others, and finally taking action to live out your purpose.

1. Awakening. This is the step where you awaken to the fact that you have a bigger game to play in life- a unique personal and professional purpose. If you are awakening, you are beginning to notice a restlessness in your soul, you may be having trouble sleeping, getting intuitive messages, having symbolic dreams.

2. Awareness. This is the step where you become aware that you need to find out exactly what your life purposes are. If you are becoming aware, you are wanting to find out more about what else there is to life, desiring more fulfillment and meaning, and feeling more awake about who you really are.

3. Acceptance. This is the step where you accept your life purposes and come to terms with what it means to you and the world. If you are in acceptance, you are beginning to embrace the idea that your life has purpose, realizing it is your job to be it and do it, and wanting to find out how.

4. Articulating. This is the step where you articulate your life purposes by putting them into words. If you are articulating, you are putting in words what it is that you are meant to be and do, starting to share it with others, and getting excited about it.

5. Acting. This is the step where you take action by moving towards the fulfillment of your life purposes. If you are taking action, you have begun making major personal and professional life changes that are more in alignment with who you are and what you are meant to do. •