Well immediately I think of all the jokes out there that have to do with people who were born via a “Happy Accident”; but I doubt that is what the intention of this month is focused on. I actually had to look up what others had done for “Be On-Purpose Month” in order to get a better idea about it. I have since learned that it mainly has to do with motivating yourself to feel more confident and less poorly of one’s self by trying to live as if every day by making the choices you want to make. Ideally, this would often take the form of a life in a lap of luxury that wouldn’t have the cares of taxes, loans, and politics. This is however not an ideal situation everyone can afford, so small steps in Being On Purpose is making tough decisions that could make you happier, even if for a period of time it may cause a bit of inconvenience. On the flip side of this; for the same life decision you choose convenience, but you take comfort in the decision instead of regretting it. You made the choice and have set your priorities. Don’t blame anyone or anything else on the decision. You made it. Own it. Try to get the same happiness from that decision.
For example, you are in a job that pays well enough and gives you sufficient benefits. You aren’t uncomfortable with your life, but you had always wanted more from it. An opportunity on the other side of the country presents itself. Going there would mean taking a risk; perhaps living cost a very high and the pay you would get would only be able to support a chunk of what makes up your life now. A big chunk; everything that you need but perhaps not everything that you want. This opportunity being on the other side of the country also means you won’t know anyone there and will be very far from the people who care about you now. But the opportunity may prove to be lucrative. If it turns out the way it says it might you would be much better off than you are now, but not for some time if ever. It would be a big decision for a bigger step toward the possibility of a better life for yourself, and your family if you’ve got yourself one.
So you have two decisions: go for that risky chance at a better life that would mean a hopefully temporary inconvenience to you, or stay with your job and your life that you are in now and play it safe. Whatever you would choose doesn’t even really matter here. Some people will take the chance while others will play it safe. The point of Being On Purpose is that no matter what happens after you follow through with the choice you make; you don’t regret it. You knew the pros and cons of either decision at the time. If you ended up going and the opportunity you sought didn’t work out; that’s fine! There are other opportunities and you can always find a way to make things work. But you made the choice to take that chance and you should feel good about it! You took that chance because that is what you believed was best. Own it. Laugh about. Feel proud of your decision. If you ended up staying and it turns out that opportunity succeeded and you missed out on that; that’s fine! Your life is still a good one. That hasn’t changed. You are still close to the people you love and who love you. That hasn’t changed. You played it safe because that is what you believed was best. Own it. Laugh about. Feel proud in your decision; no matter what decision you made. That goes for every decision we make, and sure we can have regrets. We can also not let that regret keep us from being happy.
Be On Purpose!
