Our purpose is to feel joy

What is your purpose? It a question all of us ask at some point. Philosophers and religious leaders have tried to give us answers for this question throughout history. We all surely wonder at some point, “What’s it all about?”

At Do Tell we believe that our purpose is to live in joy and find happiness.

You may be tempted to pass that off as utopian or too good to be true, but consider that we are in good company. (You can be too.)  The American Founding Fathers put this idea into the most famous lines of our Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (and women) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Before you get bored with this history lesson, think about it for just one moment. The men who wrote these lines were trying to lay out ideal rules for governing a people. But it is just as easily a model for how we can live our daily lives.

We have bodies to feel joy. Think about when you are at your most successful. No doubt it is in some area that really gets your juices flowing. You feel a thrill at the satisfaction of that work or activity. You feel joy. It makes you happy.

There are many purposes we live out in our lives. Maybe we want to do good in the world. We want to have children and raise them well. We want to be President, or just make a little money.

Those type of purposes all weave together with our joy. When we are the happiest, we do our best work in those kinds of endeavors. We have more impact because we are lined up with ourselves. We feel more energy and the work of our lives becomes joy.

If you aren’t feeling that joy in something you thought was your purpose, it might be time to start asking questions. If you’re struggling with where to start, there are some great ideas in Do Tell:The Relationship Game:

Tell Card: “What is something you are really good at? Give an example.”

Tell Card: “What are some of your favorite things about your life?”

Only you can discover what will bring you joy. No one else can make that decision for you. But, if you are struggling, then consider that the journey to the goal can be as much a joy as the goal itself.

Trying floating a little bit today and not struggling so hard.

Think about your purpose in the context of how it brings you joy.

Remember why you started. Move one step today towards inviting joy in and you may find yourself living in the happiness you deserve.