We explored the notion of purpose from various viewpoints in the first ten blog posts in this series. We then started making sense of our purpose in the next six blog posts. I invite you now to reflect on the fifth aspect in the Model of Purposeful Living, Representation, the light beige coloured circle in the model. Although this is the fifth circle, in real life it can emerge anywhere within the nine aspects of purposeful living and isn’t necessarily chronological.
This blog post deals with creating a representation for the purpose that we have started to glimpse through the processes suggested in the previous articles. A representation can serve many purposes. It can help us clarify, communicate, internalise, and continually deepen our understanding of purpose. It can also serve as a powerful anchor, reminding us of who we are, why we are here, and how we wish to live.
In Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), an anchor is any stimulus that consistently triggers a particular emotional, mental, or behavioural state. A song may remind us of a special moment in our lives. The scent of a flower may reconnect us with a childhood memory. A photograph may instantly evoke feelings of gratitude, love, determination, or inspiration. In the same way, a meaningful representation of our purpose can act as an anchor that reconnects us with our deeper intentions and aspirations.
When regularly engaged with, such a representation helps us internalise our purpose, reminds us that we are in this world for a bigger reason, encourages us to take small purposeful steps daily, energises us, helps us make decisions, solve problems, and navigate challenges with greater perspective. It can also help us feel more valuable because we are reminded of the contribution we seek to make.
A common representation of purpose is a written purpose statement. Once the first draft of our purpose has been developed through the process described in Part 14: A Glimpse of Our Purpose, it can be refined and energised through carefully chosen words. Some people transform their purpose into a poem or song. Others create a collage, painting, mind map, artefact, symbol, photograph, or other meaningful prop that represents their purpose in a deeply personal way.
The visual in this blog post is an artefact that represents my purpose and serves as an anchor for it. It is a stone that I found and used during a purpose-related activity at university. My purpose is to deeply understand the notion of purpose and sow the seeds of purpose in the minds of others.
For me, the stone symbolises the enduring and universal nature of purpose. Like the stone, purpose is something solid and real. Yet I can only see and understand a small part of it at any given moment. When I look at the stone from a different angle, it appears different. Similarly, when I view purpose from a different life experience, perspective, or paradigm, my understanding changes. At times it feels as though my purpose is changing, but perhaps it is not. Perhaps I am simply seeing a deeper, clearer, or more complete aspect of the same purpose.
The stone also reminds me that purpose possesses a depth that I may never fully comprehend, just as I cannot truly see the full depth of the stone. Therefore, the best contribution I can make is to sow the idea of purpose in the minds of others so that they can begin their own exploration, discover their own unique purpose, and live their own unique purposeful life.
At the same time, this stone serves as an anchor. Whenever I see it or hold it, I am reminded of my purpose. It reconnects me with my commitment to understand purpose more deeply and to help others explore their own. In moments of uncertainty, distraction, or fatigue, it helps me regain perspective and reconnect with what matters most.
Since each of us is inspired by different forms of expression, there is no single correct representation. What matters is that the representation resonates deeply with us. Whether it is a written statement, a song, a painting, a photograph, a symbolic object, or another creative expression, it should meaningfully represent our purpose and, ideally, serve as an anchor that strengthens our connection to it.
Once a representation has been created, it is useful to engage with it regularly and observe whether it continues to inspire and energise us. If its impact begins to diminish, this may be an inner signal that it is time to improve it, refresh it, or create a new representation that reflects our deeper understanding of purpose.
I recommend that you create a representation of your purpose. Involve your family, friends, or colleagues where appropriate. It can be a fun, meaningful, and energising exercise. If you have not yet developed your purpose statement, I encourage you to revisit Part 11: Making Sense of Our Purpose, and continue to read Part 12, Part 13, etc and experiment with the processes suggested there.
Keep building yourself and becoming fit for purpose so that you can say “yes” when opportunities arise. What matters most is being engaged in the process whilst remaining relatively unconcerned about the outcome, which may be part of a larger plan that we do not yet fully understand.
In the next blog post, we will explore the red circle in the model, Rituals, and how to engage with our purpose regularly so that it continues to energise and inspire purposeful living.
Meanwhile, I wish you purposeful living.
