We all have roles. We are leaders, employees, parents, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives and the list goes on ad infinium. We perform numerous tasks based on the labels we attach to ourselves. While these roles are important and help us build our perception of ourselves and our lives, I wonder if there might be a deeper, more profound way to look at how we occupy and manage our place in the world. It is important to be clear about our role, however, roles are really functions or positions we perform and hold.
Roles become hollow places to occupy if we are not clear and in alignment with our purpose. Your purpose is about intention, your reason for being on this earth. As we examine our roles, the real, underlying question is, why are we doing what we’re doing? Why are we fulfilling the roles we find ourselves occupying? Roles become empty and unfulfilling without the clear and intentional understanding of why. Why are you a parent? Why are you a leader? Why are you a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife? Why do you do the job you do? The answer to these questions is what matters most.
Purpose is what keeps us going when we feel frustrated or annoyed in our role. Purpose is the fuel that endures and overcomes the obstacles we face. Purpose is what helps us make decisions about how we spend our time, the people we love, the jobs we do, and the kind of life we lead. It’s unfortunate that some people don’t give much thought to their purpose or why they do what they do. Have you taken the time to consider your purpose? Are your choices, behaviors, and actions in alignment with your purpose? Are you willing to make sacrifices for your purpose? And have you identified how you can better serve others with your purpose in mind?
As we begin 2022, I encourage you to consider the concept of role vs. purpose. Making the distinction, and then moving forward with intention could be a determining factor in how successful you become this year.
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