Rehabitus: Personal growth in life after addiction.
Word count: 900 words // Read time: 3-4 minutes.
The Importance of Purpose and Direction
Imagine a ship with no crew, drifting aimlessly, battered by waves, and ending up wherever the ocean takes it.
This is what life feels like without direction and purpose. Without a clear sense of where we're headed, like a ship without a captain, we risk being tossed around by the tides of circumstance and external influences.
It’s crucial to take control of our lives with purpose and vigilance. By harnessing our personal power, we can steer towards our destiny, rather than just drifting along to wherever life might take us.
I could stop writing here. Thanks for reading.
But here’s the thing.
The Non-Linear Journey
While direction is important, life isn’t a straight path with clear maps or foolproof navigation systems. We might not know our exact destination. Our journey can feel like a winding treasure hunt with puzzles, traps, riddles and hidden clues. This uncertainty is part of the thrill, asking us to mix our intentions with a dash of serendipity.
Creating Purpose Through Experience
Our purpose might not be a fixed endpoint but something we create through our actions and decisions. Sometimes, our destination doesn't exist until we materialise it into being. Our purpose emerges as we navigate through life, shaped by our experiences, including the challenges and misfortunes we encounter along the way.
Learning from Misfortunes
As Aesop wisely said, "Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own." Yet, our own misfortunes can also be powerful lessons, often revealing strengths and weaknesses we didn't know we had. These experiences can guide us to a refined purpose we may not have otherwise considered.
Finding Your Ikigai
The concept of Ikigai represents the intersection of what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Finding your Ikigai means discovering a purpose that brings joy, uses your skills, meets a societal need, and is financially sustainable. This framework can serve as a guide, helping you adjust your direction as your understanding and circumstances evolve.
Evolving Purpose and Self-Discovery
As you grow, so do your ideas, and your original purpose may evolve. You might evolve into someone new. You might find yourself off-course, not because of failure, but because you are evolving towards another purpose that better suits your emerging true self. I say allow yourself to veer off-course if it feels authentic. In such cases, you are not off-course; you are manifesting a new purpose. You’ve found out the original purpose wasn’t the one. You’re carving it out.
You’re carving yourself out.
The Role of Adaptability
This is where flexibility and adaptability matter. Life’s journey requires constant reassessment and realignment of our goals. Having a direction is key, but what’s more important is being willing to adjust that direction as new information and experiences shape our understanding of what is meaningful and fulfilling.
Trust the process, be authentic, and show up for yourself. Your purpose won't come to you while you sit and wait; it might reveal itself during the journey once you set sail.
Building Momentum and Overcoming Adversity
As you develop skills and attributes aimed at one destination, you might unknowingly be preparing for another. In the process, a feeling of momentum becomes familiar—you know the sensation of your engines running warm and you get the taste of moving forward. This momentum helps you build confidence. With this momentum, you can adjust your rudders if needed and continue moving in a refined direction, exploring new opportunities and perspectives that were previously inaccessible.
Adversity is inevitable, and overcoming challenges builds character. Don't wish for an easy path. Get comfortable with the process. If you want change, then you must change. You don't just carve out the path; the path carves out a new you as well.
Man cannot remake himself without suffering, for he is both the marble and the sculptor.
-Alexis Carrel
Micro-Adjustments and Realignment
Micro-adjustments and micro-alignments are key to navigating this journey. These small, iterative changes help us stay agile and responsive to new information, people, and experiences. In making continuous, minor adjustments, we can fine-tune our direction, ensuring we stay on a course that feels right, even if the exact endpoint remains undefined.
Our Future and Our Becoming Converge
As we move forward in life, our evolving selves and our future goals align, influencing and shaping each other.
Purposes evolve, and new destinations may appear on the horizon.
Begin with clear intentions, stay vigilant, and be flexible, allowing your path to develop naturally and authentically. In doing so, you become more than just a passenger in life; you become the navigator, steering towards a future that genuinely reflects who you are becoming.
This newsletter was initially inspired by my reflections on this quote by C.S. Lewis:
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Thank you!
This should be taught in school.
Thank you for reading, An K.
I’d agree!