Throughout my search for finding my purpose, I looked EVERYWHERE! However, looking back now, I realize that I should have consulted with my dog.
Let me introduce Major, our Basset Hound. He’s one of those dogs that looks so friendly but sad at the same time. He never turns down loves or pets, and he can make you feel guilty about not sharing your popcorn with one look … yep, he’s had lots of popcorn over the years.
He’s getting older now, but with age comes wisdom and distinction. In our 12+ years together, I’ve learned a lot about life and finding my purpose by learning from him.
“Throughout my search for finding my purpose, I looked EVERYWHERE! However, looking back now, I realize that I should have consulted with my dog.”
Lesson one: Don’t try to change who you are … embrace it! Major
knows he was made to be a Basset Hound and not a Labrador Retriever. We tried to play ball with him many times over the years, and he would always get the ball, but he would never bring it back to us to throw again. He knew all along who he was, but it took longer for us to realize (we humans can slow like that 😊). He has always been comfortable with the dog God created him to be, and he never felt the need to try to change to please us.
It has taken me much longer to become comfortable with the person God created me to be. I used to wish I was more like this friend or that celebrity … believing in my heart that their lives were perfect and mine was subpar. Only through wisdom and discernment have I realized that this could not be further from the truth. I learned to embrace who I am, and I haven’t wished for a different life since. It was also through embracing myself that I discovered my purpose. Major knew it all along. 😊
Lesson two: Use what you’ve been given in life to your advantage. As a Basset Hound, Major has long floppy ears. While they sometimes get wet from his water bowl or interfere with his eating, he also uses them ingeniously … when he’s trying to sleep while sunbathing, he uses his ears to block the sun from his eyes. He has a built it eye mask!
I, too, have begun using what has been given to me as an advantage (rather that wishing it wasn’t there). I live my life in a wheelchair, and while there are many inconveniences associated with it, I choose (thanks in part to Major) to look at it from a more positive perspective and embrace it for the advantages it grants me such as preferred parking, not getting tired when I go with my family on long walks, and a greater appreciation when I am able to do something on my own without help.
Lesson three: Sing when the mood strikes! Major, like all good hound dogs, loves to howl and sing. He freely expresses his joy rather than hiding it in fear of what others might say or think. He doesn’t worry or care about what people think about his singing … he just sings, or barks, or wags his tail when he’s feeling joy (which is all of the time unless he’s sleeping).
I have a history of hiding who I am to conform with the hope of fitting it. I wouldn’t wear certain things that expressed myself for fear of getting teased. I wouldn’t sing for fear of getting teased. I wouldn’t ask questions or give my opinions for fear of getting teased. Are you sensing a pattern here? 😉
When I think about all the time and energy that I invested in suppressing myself, it makes me sad. And all of that suppression made it so much harder to discover my purpose. If I would have learned from Major sooner, I would have found my purpose sooner, and I would have expressed my joy without any thought of the fear of being teased.
Lesson four: Love unconditionally. Major is always there to love on me and to cheer me up. His every thought and action have love bubbling up to the surface. Major has modeled that every moment can – and should – be filled with love.
It is my goal that my family and Major feel the love I have for them even when I’m not directly saying it at the moment. I want love to ooze out of me, and I want there to be no doubt how much I love and care for them. Once I found my purpose and I felt like I was on the path to living the best version of myself, it was easier to feel and express love.
I definitely have one heck of a wise dog! If I had paid attention and listened sooner, I could have discovered my life’s purpose sooner. Don’t waste any more precious time finding YOUR purpose … embrace the lessons Major has taught.
“If I had paid attention and listened sooner, I could have discovered my life’s purpose sooner.”
Do you want to begin the journey of living a life with more joy? DESTINATION: TOMORROW is your practical blueprint to destroy the self-imposed limits that keep you small. You’ll be reminded what you’re capable of and boldly step into your true power. You know you were made for more. Dare to dream big!