To inspire is not enough!

[InterfaceLeader]

Loads of people have life purposes that seem really really vague, or completely confuse medium - to be a great writer' - with message - 'to write a great book about x, y and z that will help people accomplish or understand a,b and c'

Loads of people want to be 'inspiring', or 'help people'. Inspire people to do what? Help people to do what? Hitler was inspiring! He just inspired people to do horrible things. Do you want to help people move their furniture? It doesn't mean anything!

ATo find your life purpose, you need to look at what is important to you. If you struggled with and successfully broke free from an addiction, you will feel strongly about it, and may want to help people break free from their addictions. That is your purpose - and once you've got that you can decide if you want to do it by writing a book, a blog, setting up a support group, providing one-on-one counselling, becoming a teacher or social worker in a deprived area etc etc.

Your purpose is not to 'be a writer' or 'be a counsellor'. These are just techniques. Your message is the part that counts - what's your book going to be about? Look at any great writer and you will see the same themes in everything they write. It might be social injustice, it might be sexism or racism, it might be human passion and the consequences, it might be ethical dilemas, it might be religious, it might be dealing with loss and abandonment, but there will be a common theme. An 'inspiring' one, if you will.

Saying your life purpose is to inspire says nothing. You could be Hitler or Ghandi, Stalin or Martin Luther King. What is it that you want to inspire?

[Eric Revelin]

Essentially it's a matter of style vs. substance. People can be very inspiring without saying anything at all, but is that valuable? As the original poster pointed out it really isn't. Being able to stir up strong emotions is a gift, but only if you can direct them toward some end, give them shape... Otherwise it's just a lot of wasted energy. It's a spiritual/emotional orgasm that leaves you sweaty and breathless but it's a hollow joy because you're shooting blanks.

Stop stroking and give your purpose a little bit of thought. Then, when you're ready to be a mommy or a daddy, get back to it.

[mrsmith]

Originally Posted by InterfaceLeader

Loads of people have life purposes that seem really really vague, or completely confuse medium - to be a great writer' - with message - 'to write a great book about x, y and z that will help people accomplish or understand a,b and c'

Loads of people want to be 'inspiring', or 'help people'. Inspire people to do what? Help people to do what? Hitler was inspiring! He just inspired people to do horrible things. Do you want to help people move their furniture? It doesn't mean anything!

ATo find your life purpose, you need to look at what is important to you. If you struggled with and successfully broke free from an addiction, you will feel strongly about it, and may want to help people break free from their addictions. That is your purpose - and once you've got that you can decide if you want to do it by writing a book, a blog, setting up a support group, providing one-on-one counselling, becoming a teacher or social worker in a deprived area etc etc.

Your purpose is not to 'be a writer' or 'be a counsellor'. These are just techniques. Your message is the part that counts - what's your book going to be about? Look at any great writer and you will see the same themes in everything they write. It might be social injustice, it might be sexism or racism, it might be human passion and the consequences, it might be ethical dilemas, it might be religious, it might be dealing with loss and abandonment, but there will be a common theme. An 'inspiring' one, if you will.

Saying your life purpose is to inspire says nothing. You could be Hitler or Ghandi, Stalin or Martin Luther King. What is it that you want to inspire?

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