Purpose

Dear Millennial,

Do you remember Dr. Seuss?

Yes, that Dr. Seuss.. the author responsible for our introduction to storytelling classics such as The Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 & Thing 2, Green Eggs and Ham, and the list goes on.

Oh the fundamentals!

As I’ve reflected on Dr. Seuss’ body of work as an adult, I’ve realized how some of the essential lessons he wrote about are still applicable today with an adult twist. The story Are You My Mother? comes to mind. For those who aren’t familiar or don’t remember, I’ll give you the cliff-notes version.

Are You My Mother?is about a baby bird’s quest to find his missing mother. The  story begins with the mother leaving the nest in search of food, thinking that her egg  would remain in the nest where she left it while away. While the mother was away, the baby bird hatched and quickly realized he was alone. He didn’t understand where his mother had gone, so he decided to go looking for her. He realized along the way that he couldn’t fly, and had no choice but to walk. He endured various obstacles and experiences as he walked which involved a kitten, a hen, a dog, and a cow. With each encounter, he asked if each animal was his mother, but they all informed him that they weren’t. Though he grew weary and unsure, the baby bird never gave up. He eventually found his mother, and began recounting the adventures he had endured while looking for her.

I’m sure you’re wondering how I’m going to bring this all together…..Keep reading…

For the better part of my life, I’ve felt like the “rules” of society have instilled in me that I am supposed to have my life together by the time I’ve reached a certain age, pay grade, job responsibility, or socially acceptable area to call home.. I’ve felt as though I’ve second-guessed what to do with my life at times and/or if I should make drastic changes. These thoughts have led me to question, “who came up with these ”rules.”

I would consider myself to be the baby bird in the story; maybe you identify with him  as well? As I’ve matured, I’ve come to the realization that it’s up to me to find fulfillment for myself. Once I left the “nest” and entered into the world of adulthood, it then became my responsibility to find my purpose in this world. Every encounter the baby bird found himself in prompted the question, “Are you my mother?” Every career move, conversation, organizational affiliation and extra-curricular activity I’ve found myself engulfed in has prompted the question, “Is this my purpose?” The likes, dislikes, uncomfortable situations and praise-worthy moments have all been the foundation needed for me to self-reflect and dig deeper to determine what I was designed to do, and what I have a passion for. With each experience, the baby bird took away tidbits of info that helped him along the way while searching for his mother. I’m doing the same; I’m learning from each situation I’ve found myself in, and I hope you’re doing the same if you haven’t found YOUR purpose yet either. I’m still asking the questions, fine tuning the responses and putting together the various puzzle pieces from my various life experiences.

Something that stuck out from this story was that the baby bird walked everywhere he went while on his search. In my opinion, that was symbolic of the quintessential steps we cannot avoid taking in our own personal journeys. Let’s be honest… there is no genuine appreciation in flying; the long term gratitude/appreciation is created within the struggle. When we finally figure out our purpose, we’ll not only enjoy retelling the story of our journey, but will also find fulfillment in the people that are motivated and/or encouraged by our journey as well… similar to how the baby bird enjoyed retelling the story of his journey to his mother once he found her.

The saying goes, “When you do what you love, it will never feel like work.” To me, that statement means we must do something that fulfills us and is fueled by our purpose. Pay attention to what gives you all the “feels” when you think about that statement. More than likely, whatever comes to mind is what you were meant to do and/or build upon (purpose).

I thought it was important to share my thoughts on purpose because a common theme I see these days amongst many, along with the conversations I find myself having with others, are  centered around the idea of passionately searching for purpose. We’re all on a quest to find consistent fulfillment and happiness in our everyday lives. With so much going on in the world that we all have an opportunity to contribute, in our own way.

When was the last time you had a conversation with yourself about life that led you to take inventory of all your experiences, and ask yourself what your purpose is?

Try it…you may be surprised where the conversation takes you.

-Millennial Jas