Discover your Purpose? You May Already Know!

Marc Alan Schelske 

Maybe You Already Know Your Purpose!

What am I here for? It’s one of the fundamental questions that each of us have to answer. It’s right up there next to “What’s for dinner?” No, wait. It’s far more important than that. That’s my five-year old’s most important question. But you’re not five, and you’re trying to make sense of your life and do something significant with it.

That question is about purpose, which is one of the main topics here on Dayna’s blog. She writes regularly about discovering and living out your life’s purpose. She’s right to write about it. The pursuit of purpose is one of the most important and meaningful things we can do with our lives. But today I’d like to suggest to you that you may already know your purpose. It might not be the vague mystery that you think.

Why Is it this way? Why is it not another?

I’m a bit of a geek. Before I became a pastor I went to design school. I care about things like fonts and white space. I have certain pens that I’m partial to. (I’ve been known to pick up offending pens that make it onto my desk and chuck them into the hallway.) I’m also a big computer nerd, and love things like web design.

All of these interests come together in a technology class that I teach at a local school where I live. The class content lives at the intersection of computers, design, and communication.

In a recent class project, I asked the students to look at household items in their lives and ask two questions: “Why is it this way?” and “Why is it not another way?” These two questions can reveal a lot about the design behind common items, and their purpose. 

For example, look at a spoon. Why is it that way? 

• A long handle. 
• A concave bowl that’s only so large. 
• Smooth edges. 

The answer is obvious, right? A spoon’s purpose is to lift food to our mouths. It needs a lifter. That’s the handle. It needs a scooper. That’s the bowl. The whole thing needs to be of a size that will fit our hands, and will comfortably fit into our mouths. 

Why is it not another way? Why no slots? Why only one handle? Why not a much longer or much shorter handle? Certainly you could design a spoon that has these things. But would those choices compromise the spoon’s purpose?

Why is your life the way it is?

So why this little commentary on the design of a spoon? Here’s why. I believe that you can learn a lot about your purpose by examining your own life in a similar way. I come to this belief from these assumptions:

• God created you, and did so with a good purpose in mind. In fact, the Ephesians 2:10 says that you are a piece of artwork, created for a good and beautiful purpose. More on this idea here. God knew all about the circumstances that would become a part of your life, shaping your story.
• Psalms139 makes it clear that there is no part of your life that is a surprise to God.
• God has been with you all along through the course of your journey, even when you didn't know or weren't aware. Psalms 23 paints this picture.

If these these things are true, then it also means that your story contains within it clues to the purpose God has for your life. I’d like to share some examples from my own life to illustrate what I mean.

The Clues in my own life.

In the past couple of years I've been able to do quite a bit of work looking back at my own story. With help from a coach, a great therapist, a good bit of journaling and prayer, and a number of supportive friends, I've learned more about myself in this recent season, than I ever have before. There are lots of reasons why... that’s a whole other blog post. (That’s a whole other story. If you’re interested in hearing me tell some of it, you can watch that happen here.) 

But one of the results of this work is that I've been able to see my life and story much more clearly than I ever have before. In this process I picked up some pretty important clues about my God-given purpose.

Four central themes kept cropping up. Each one shaped me and my choices. Each one ties back to significant events in my life. I want to share two of them with you here.

I was able to spot a theme centered around being included and creating inclusion for other people. This showed up in painful ways, like not wanting to disappoint people, and trying hard to be liked. But it also showed up in powerful ways, like creating healing community for broken people. I named this theme “belonging.” Looking back through my story I can see that it is life-giving for me to create spaces where failing isn't fatal, and grace allows people to be their very best selves.

I also identified a theme in my life of creativity. Every time in my life that I can remember that was positive and engaging was when I was making something. This drive has had a lot of different expressions: drawing, building, designing, writing, speaking. The most powerful times for me were when the things I created made a difference in someone else’s life. I named this theme “Creative Intentionality.” I have seen that my life is the richest when I am able to create things that serve others well.

My Authentic Core Values

I came to these two themes, and two others, through a process of reflecting on the events of my life and observing what was life-giving and what was not. It turns out that these themes are deeply motivating to me. They are, essentially, personal core values.

They are not core values in the sense that I sat down and compiled a list of qualities I wish were true of me. That kind of list is aspirational. It can serve as a motivator. But it’s not really connected to who I am.

These motivations are authentic core values that emerge from my story. They are a part of who God made me to be (my wiring), and how God has led my life (my circumstances). Taken together, I believe that these authentic core values are a very big clue about the kind of purpose God has for my life.

When I am creating belonging, when I am making things that move people and serve their spiritual journey, I am living in alignment with God’s purpose for me. In those times I am using my gifts and my life experience. In those spaces God is redeeming my broken places and using them to bless others. In those moments, I am fully alive.

Now, Look for the clues in your life.

As 2013 approaches, I want to encourage you to look at your own story for the clues for your purpose. You can do this in a lot of ways. A good counselor or coach can help you. You can do it through personal journaling. 

If these ideas intrigue you, I’d love to give you a copy of my little book, “Discovering Your Authentic Core Values.” It’s available on Amazon in both e- and dead-tree versions. But I’d love to give you a free copy of the eBook right now.This little book is a step-by-step guide for looking at your own story to discover the core values that are authentic to who you are.

About Marc Alan Schelske 

Marc Alan Schelske writes about the intentional spiritual life at www.MarcAlanSchelske.com. He’s served as a pastor full-time for eighteen years, currently in Portland, Oregon, where he gets to encourage people in living the inside-out life following Jesus. He’s deep into a journey of emotional recovery after near-burn out, and is excited to share this discovery: You are a piece of art handmade by God, with a good and beautiful purpose to accomplish in the world.

Join the Conversation: 

How do your core values help shape your purpose? 

Book Announcement: The Purpose of Chosen

Click Here for More Info 

It's Here, It's Here!

If  you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you have heard the news! My new book, The Purpose of Chosen is available on Amazon now! (The Kindle version anyway!) 

I have never been so excited and scared at the same time. Not even giving birth was this scary! Putting my work out on the internet for people to discover for "free" is one thing, but asking someone to put their money where my words are is another thing all together. 

Needless to say this is daunting. 

Still, I know that this is the next thing. I know God has called me to write. That is in part why it is so amazing to me: because on my own I am not enough. 

I am no Hemingway, and I am definitely no Joyce Meyer, but I am me. I can only share what God has laid on my heart and let Him give the increase. 

A Two Part Launch

The Kindle version of The Purpose of Chosen is ready for purchase right now! You can get it for only $3.99. The paperback version will be ready soon and that will be for $7.99. Get the Kindle version now for the lower price! 

If you get the book, will you consider writing a small review and posting it on Amazon.com? This will help other potential readers to learn more about the book and make an decision to buy. 

Once there are enough preliminary reviews I will be holding a "launch day" and will be tweeting and posting all about it soon. Of course I want the official launch day to include the physical book, so I will have to wait until that is ready from the publishers. 

More Than Old Blog Posts

The title of this book may sound familiar to you if you have been following this blog for any length of time. The Purpose of Chosen started off as a series I did for the blog, but this book takes that series to a whole new level. New content, stories, and discussion questions for small groups makes this book worth the read. 

The Back Cover

Here is the blurb from the cover, and I hope it helps you decide to buy a copy! 

"What you believe about yourself affects every aspect of your life---often in ways you don’t even realize. You may be convinced that this is all there is, but there is more for you. You were made for more than a mundane life; you were made to live with purpose. You have been chosen, like David, for more than even you know.

In The Purpose of Chosen Dayna Bickham explores what “more” means. Examining the story of David and Goliath in a new and fresh way, Bickham begins to radically confront the things you have believed about yourself and builds you up to face any giant that may stand in your way.

When you discover who you were designed to be, you begin to see that life is not just a random stream of events, but opportunities for greatness. You begin to see that giants were made for slaying and you were made for victory."

Thank You! 

I know that in today's economy disposable income is not as abundant as it once was. That is just one reason I want to say thank you if you choose to purchase The Purpose of Chosen. This is a big step for me as a writer and minister of the gospel. Your opinion does matter. Your friendship, prayers, encouragement and partnership in this community has sustained me and spurred me to do my best. 

I have not always lived up to "best", but for some reason you kept coming back anyway and I have to say thanks! 

For those of you subscribed to our newsletter, you will be getting a special e-mail from me concerning the book. My way of thanking my most loyal followers... 

I hope you will pray for me and for the people who will read this book. My desire is that they would be ministered to in the most personal of ways and truly grasp what it means to be chosen with purpose. 

Don't miss out on future discounts, deals and insider news again! Subscribe to our newsletter by clicking this link.

I Am Not Getting Paid to Say This: An Interview with Jeff Goins

Jeff Goins

The Initial Attraction

There have been many people in this world who have influenced me. Some, like teachers, family members, and friends I have met. Some, like Jeff Goins, I have not had the privilege of meeting. Yet somehow, he has impacted me on many levels: some personal and some professional. 

(He even gets a "thank you" in my upcoming book The Purpose of Chosen: Discovering You Are Meant for More and a quote in the book as well. -More on that later!) 

It may be his lopsided grin, his honest blue eyes, and  ginger hair that grabbed my attention (having tons of gingers in my family I have a fondness for them) but it was his honest and bold writing style that kept my attention. 

Jeff's had an amazing rise in the blogger world and as a writer his work is gaining notice in more ways than one. Jeff's first books were self-published works about writing and following your dreams. Since then he has put a ton of work in, and seemed to instinctively know how to build a platform of readers, engage an audience, and build a following. 

So publishers came knocking. (This is unheard of!) 

These are skills people pay to learn, and Jeff seemed to become adept simply by trying. This, along with his unique and genuine personal world view has launched him into the bloggosphere as a bit of a guru, and I am not too proud to say I usually pour over anything the man writes with ferocious zeal. 

Yep. I Am a Fan

When I learned Jeff wrote a new book called Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into your Comfortable Life, I was intrigued. This is a bit of a departure from his previous books, but not a departure from who Jeff is. 

By night, Jeff is a Superwriter (of graphic-novel-proportions: able to leap over large word counts in a single bound), and a diaper changing, bottle warming, Instagram snapping, new dad to boot. 

By day he is Communications Director at Adventures in Missions in Nashville, Tennessee. His heart for making a difference is certainly something that shaped the penning of his most recent book and one I want to share with you today. 

I am not getting paid to say these great things, though, I should think about sending Jeff my resume when and if he ever needs a publicist. I did not even receive a free copy of his book. I had to by it the old fashioned way: Amazon. (that is an affiliate link) But it was worth it in the end.  As a matter of fact, when Jeff asked for applications for his launch team, I applied and then did not make it. So when I asked for an interview I was pleasantly surprised to say the least when he said yes. 

Now, months later, I get to share with you what I learned by interviewing Jeff, and introduce to you a book that will turn your world upside down and inside out if you let it. 

The Interview

Dayna:  Jeff, your life has gone through some amazing changes in the last few years. A successful blog, a couple of great eBooks, a new son, and now your other "baby": Wrecked. How are you handling the ride? 

Jeff:  Well, Dayna, as you well know (since I promised a reply to you months ago) that it's a bit overwhelming. It's frankly hard to keep up with everything. Much to my own regret, I've had to make some sacrifices just to stay healthy.

My two main priorities are my family and what I consider my "art" — writing content that I can be proud of. Somewhere in there, I also try to put food on the table, pay the bills, and interact with my "tribe" of readers, but if I do all that at the expense of the first two priorities, I've failed. And it won't be long before everything else fails, too.

For me, it's important to have that solid foundation.

Dayna:  If someone asked me this question I would hate them, but I have to ask anyway: What makes Wrecked so special? Why is it different? 

Jeff:  I wrote Wrecked, because I couldn't find a book like it out there already. I have lots of friends and colleagues who have had paradigm-shifting experiences that have left them confused or paralyzed.

I wanted to write a book about what to do after you feel like your world has been turned upside-down — why that's a good thing and where to go from there.

I think there are a good number of books about changing the world and living for others, but most seem to err on the side of commitment or adventure. 

That is, you either feel like you're not doing enough or that you're doing too much and need to focus on just one thing.Wrecked is not answering that struggle but learning to live in the tension. It's where we all need to live more of our lives.

Dayna:  In that moment when we are "wrecked" lying on our backs waiting for the worst like the tortoise on the front of your book, what is the most important thing to remember in that moment? 

Jeff: This isn't about you. It's not about you lying on your back. It's about the sky that you can now see. So look up.

Dayna: I love that. "So look up."  How have you been able to filter the events in your life and use them to propel you forward? 

Jeff: A wise man once told me that God can only bless or redeem. In other words, there are two filters for the things that happen in our lives:

1. "This was supposed to happen. Be grateful for it."

2. "This wasn't supposed to happen, but good will come of it."

Saying "everything happens for a reason" is a bit Pollyanna for me. The truth is sometimes bad, terrible things happen. But our response to them is what shapes our character.

Dayna: I write about purpose with a particular singularity. It is my thing. How important do you think finding your purpose in life is? 

Jeff: Essential. And plenty of people don't.

This is something you will have to fight for, and without it, life will seem meaningless and empty. Because without a clear understanding of your calling, it is meaningless and empty.

If a person doesn't find her purpose, she will fill that longing we all have with anything — even harmful substances — that offers some temporary satisfaction or gratification.

Dayna:  How can people buy your book? 

Jeff: However they want. They can find out more, including a list of places where it's for sale here http://wreckedthebook.com.

Dayna:  I have heard you are offering an incentive to purchase your book. What is that about? 

Jeff: That's actually no longer available but people can pick up a free study guide at wreckedthebook.com/guide/.

Dayna: If you had to sum up in one sentence your purpose in this life, what would it be? 

Jeff: Make a difference by making a ruckus.

Dayna: What is one moment that stands out that has helped shape your purpose in life? 

Jeff: The one time my dad told me he wasn't proud of me (and he had every right to not be). It made me realize how much honor and integrity really matter to me. I never forgot that moment and have tried to make him proud ever since.

Dayna: What role does faith play in those "wrecked" moments of life for you? 

Jeff: Faith is essential. It's the hope of things to come — not in a "I hope it doesn't rain today" wishy-washy way, but in a steady "this too shall pass" way. My faith is the lens through which I view all things, and without it, I'm lost.

Join the Conversation: 

Do you have a question for Jeff? Leave a comment below. (Oh, and I bet some well wishes and new-dad advice would be welcome too!) 

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Contest Winner and Book Announcement

Congratulations! Noel Zepeda was the fabulous illustrator who won the Cover Art Contest for my new upcoming book, The Purpose of Chosen. 

I have to say I LOVE it! 

There were other great entries too. two from my daughter and one from a colleague I met through Michael Hyatt's Platform Launch team. 

I fell in love with what each artist did on one level or another. 

I have gotten permission from each artist to include their submissions as illustrations in the book, so those will be used too! 

There is plenty to do still. I am waiting on the forward. ( A good friend and fellow author/blogger is writing it.) And I am waiting on a really big "get" from another author who I love. I am not going to tell you who in case he does not want to review the book, but I am excited that the "maybe" hanging in the air is even there. I could have heard "no" right away. Now I am only waiting on his "Yes". 

Think you know who it might be? LOL! 

I have to say that this process has taught me so much. Patience is not my strong suit and I started this off by flinging it out into the world with so many errors it was embarrassing. I have to take the time to thank Shannon Mulholland and Heidi Kreider for their edits and reviews and Tammy Helfrich for her recent review as well. 

I have to thank Dana Pittman for pushing me to do more. This isn't  "the" book, but I am on my way. 

Everyone of you who have encouraged me, loved on me, listened to me, let me cry on your shoulder, thank you. 

For you artists who took a chance and helped me with my dream while you are in pursuit of your own dream, thank you! 

Thank you all for going to A Year in the Spiritual Life's Facebook Page and voting! 

Most of all, thank you Father God, who wrote David's life story and encourages me to live mine. I cannot wait to see what You have in store next! 

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