In this newsletter, I want to explore the idea that discovering and sharing this gift is the key to living a fulfilling life. To do so, I will explain the 5 steps to mastering your life's mission, which involves discovering your unique gift and pursuing mastery in that area. We live in a world with 7.9 billion people, yet every one of us is unique. We each have a distinct genetic makeup that sets us apart from others. But beyond our genetics, I believe that every person has a unique gift or talent that they are meant to share with the world.
When we discover and pursue our unique gifts, we're able to tap into our full potential and experience a sense of purpose and fulfilment. By using our gifts to help others, we're able to make a positive impact on the world and contribute to something larger than ourselves. Ultimately, discovering and sharing our unique gifts can lead to a more meaningful and satisfying life. Unfortunately, many people don't take the time to discover their unique gifts or talents and pursue mastery in that area.
This is because society values conformity over individuality
Many people feel pressured to follow a set path or meet certain expectations.
Pressure to pursue certain careers or paths due to cultural traditions or expectations.
Pressure to follow in parents' footsteps or take over the family business, even if it doesn't align with personal interests or passions.
Pressure to conform to a certain lifestyle or image on social media, or keep up with the latest trends to fit in with peers and society.
Hesitation to pursue passions or unique missions due to fear of judgment or criticism from others.
If that sounds like you, don't worry. I'll be sharing actionable steps and strategies to help you overcome these obstacles and discover your unique mission.
HERE'S HOW - STEP BY STEP
Step 1: Discover Your Genius
"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid" - Albert Einstein. School often focuses on maths and language skills, and other talents are not given as much importance. This can make people who are good at other things feel like they're not smart. But why is this the case? In 1983 an American developmental psychologist Howard Gardener described 9 types of intelligence:
Naturalist (nature smart)
Musical (sound smart)
Logical-mathematical (number/reasoning smart)
Existential (life smart)
Interpersonal (people smart)
Bodily-kinesthetic (body smart)
Linguistic (word smart)
Intra-personal (self-smart)
Spatial (picture smart)
We all have different strengths and weaknesses. It is essential to recognise where our genius is so that we can build a life around that. Here is a website where you can take the test for yourself:
Step 2: Explore Your Curiosities
Exploring your curiosities is important for discovering your unique mission and unlocking your full potential. Curiosity is a desire to learn and explore new things, while passion is a strong interest or enthusiasm for a particular activity or topic. Curiosity can be a powerful motivator for discovering our passions, as it encourages us to try new things and explore different areas. Passion, on the other hand, is what drives us to pursue mastery in a particular area and use our gifts to make a difference in the world. When you're pursuing activities that align with your interests and natural talents, you don't need external motivation because the excitement and enjoyment are already there. By finding activities that feel like play, you can tap into your curiosities and discover new passions.
Here are three exercises you can do to help you find this:
Exercise: Make a List
Write down 25 things you're curious about:
Think about topics or areas that you've always found interesting or that you've wanted to learn more about. These should be specific topics, not broad categories.
Example: Instead of writing "psychology," you could write "curious about the effects of childhood trauma on adult relationships" or "interested in learning about the psychology of motivation and goal-setting."
Ask yourself if you would be interested in spending a spare weekend reading books, attending lectures, or speaking with an expert about the topic. If the answer is yes, it's a good topic to include on your list.
Exercise: Hunt for Intersections
Look for intersections: Once you've completed your list, look for places where your ideas intersect.
Seek true passion: Keep in mind that curiosity alone is not enough to create true passion.
Identify overlaps: Look for areas where three or four items on your list intersect.
Play in those intersections: Once you've identified the spots where your curiosities overlap, spend 20-30 minutes a day exploring that topic through various mediums like podcasts, videos, articles, and books.
Exercise: Go Public
Talk to people: Strike up conversations with strangers or friends about your ideas and interests.
Join a community: Join an online community or book club devoted to your topic of interest, or start your own group.
Step 3: Turn it into a Purpose
Purpose is important because it gives our lives meaning and direction. When we have a sense of purpose, we're able to focus our attention and energy on something that matters to us and makes a difference in the world. Purpose shifts our attention off ourselves (internal focus) and puts it onto other people and the task at hand (external focus).
Exercise: List Problems
Take out a piece of paper and write down a list of 15 massive problems that you would love to see solved. Stuff that keeps you up at night.
Be specific as possible.
One example I came up with whilst doing this exercise was:"I wanted to help reduce people's suffering by helping them create a purpose-driven life" Look for spots where your core passion intersects with one or more of these grand, global challenges. The overlap between passion and purpose is what you're looking for.
Step 4: Find a Mentor
Finding a mentor is important because it can provide guidance, support, and feedback as we navigate the process of discovering and pursuing our unique gifts. A mentor can share their experiences and knowledge, and provide insights and perspectives we may not have considered, and help us overcome challenges and obstacles along the way. I have discussed the importance of having a mentor in previous newsletters.
Here is a recap: Find someone who inspires you and is someone you aspire to be in 5 years' time.
Make sure that they have achieved what you are searching for or are actively living the life you want. Pay them to mentor you. Paying for knowledge closes the gap quicker from where you are now to where you want to be. Stand on the shoulders of giants.
Step 5: Master Your Craft
Mastery is the desire to get better at the things we do. It is devotion to the craft, the need for progress, and the urge to continually improve. Humans love nothing more than stacking little victories atop of little victories. The single biggest motivator is making progress in meaningful work. In Robert Greene's book "Mastery" he describes that achieving mastery is crucial for living a fulfilled, successful, and meaningful life. I second this belief. Embrace the journey towards mastery, for it is in the relentless pursuit of growth, progress, and self-improvement that we not only unlock our true potential but also find the ultimate fulfilment, purpose, and satisfaction in life.
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