I will tell my story of purpose pursuit once more. I think of all the things in life, I have never been as passionate, as fiercely hungry and desirous for any other thing as I have been about purpose. In the early days of purpose pursuit, all I could do is to ask questions upon questions upon questions. Some of those questions were alarming and straight out weird:

The Heart of The Searcher

• How come I am still alive?
• Why was I born in the first place?
• Why didn’t I die at birth?
• How come I am this talented, intelligent AND BROKE?
• Will I ever make it in life?
• Why does God let me live when life is miserable and so bitter?
• What is that ONE THING that I am supposed to do? If I would just be shown that, it would be enough for me. I would “put my hands on the plough” and never look back!

The Occupational Hazard of a Seeker

Much as I felt deep inside my gut that I was on a noble cause of purpose, I got so frustrated in that the answers for which I sought never materialized. You see, I wanted a direct simple answer, something already packaged with instructions. I wanted to cut the chase and know everything there is to know about my purpose before I could get started.

And there, ladies and gentlemen, is the greatest occupational hazard of a seeker. What happened is that I would stop living and continue searching so that after I have found, I would then begin my journey! Wrong move! Seeking for purpose does not meant that we down our tools until we know why we are “called” before we start working.

Purpose is Discovered in Bits and Pieces

For the most part, I have come to realize that purpose is never discovered once. Even if it did, It never is revealed in its full form and grandeur. It always obeys the laws of process,the laws of maturity, the laws of faith, the laws of consistency, and the laws of obedience. I have never come across an individual who figured it all out at the youngest age possible. That is why it is absolutely tricky to teach children purpose and nail it. I think at best, we can teach them the process, but still, they will have to make the discovery by themselves.

Nevertheless, we can never negate the fact that purpose opens up to us in bits and pieces. In other words, sitting down and waiting for purpose to come before we start doing some things is an absolute miss. It doesn’t work that way. In fact, sometimes we might have to do things that we do not want to do but we have to do them in order that the purpose which is always around the corner comes to the fore. There are several hints of purpose that we have as I have already shared.

So What Now?

So now, I am going to give you one of the weirdest advice you ever heard. What you and I need to do now is whatever comes our way. I know this is bizarre advice from a purpose coach. Normally, you would want me to say things like:

• Follow your heart
• Follow your passion
• Do what you love
• Pursue your bliss

That all sounds so nice but it is not practical!

• At times what’s in your heart cannot be harnessed by your present circumstances
• At times what is your passion is not what you are equipped and skilled to do
• At times what you love to do needs to be done through others, and you do not have the capacity to
• At times, your bliss does not necessarily put food on the table, pay bills and fuels your car (if you have one)

There is a Gap

Yes, there is a gap between where you are now and what you want to do in terms of your purpose. That gap cannot be bridged in a day or a month or two. That gap is note even bridged with time. It is also bridged with the following things:

1. Clarity:

It takes quite a while to clarify to the dregs of details what you really ought to be doing in terms of purpose. Yes, I know we teach about planning and goals, but that’s all theory. When you start deploying what you think is your potential/purpose, that is when you get clearer. Clarity needs you to be in action.

2. Experience:

Authenticity is the greatest selling point in business. However, you cannot borrow authenticity the same way you can borrow scars. You have to earn it. Experience out there is what brings this authenticity. The experience is experience because not only does it take time, but it also involves very many different players that you are serving as you grow. I tell you, it is a beautiful and needed thing.

3. Teams:

As you grow, you start meeting men and women of like passions. I can tell you this: those do not come easy. To develop your purpose, you need your fire to be stocked and fanned by other people at times. Some of them are mentors but the greatest of them or men and women in arms…people that you are doing the same thing with. You start forming teams with them.

4. Refining

Like I said earlier, there comes a time when you have to zero in on what you really are called to do. It comes with experience. It comes with consistency and it comes with use. There will come a time when you will be the go to person for just one thing…not many things. For you to get there, you need time to refine it

5.Evidence:

Of course the evidence comes when more and more people with the pain that you have learnt to solve come looking for you. Finally, it is paying off.  But guess what? It didn’t happen overnight.

So Where is Stewardship in All This?

Great question. Stewardship is the faithfulness that you put in whatever assignment that you are given so that it is well managed.  Stewardship is what guarantees growth and what delivers the evidence. In other words, in order for us to gravitate towards our purpose, we ought to be good stewards with what we have in our hands right now:

• Sweeping floors
• Teaching Sunday School
• Taking care of the elderly
• Doing field direct sales

For as long as we are in motion and we are good stewards, we are well on our path of purpose if we do not keep pursuing, searching and asking. The danger is being a good steward, and dropping the vision and urge of purpose.