“There are 2 great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why.” -William Barclay

Nearly 10 years ago my marriage began to completely fall apart…and I was someone who wanted a happy marriage and family more than anything else. Having it fall apart was extremely painful. I felt hopeless. I honestly felt like I would never recover, the pain was so deep. And when I think about the deep wounds I’ve experienced in my life (not just my divorce) the experiences that come up for me have to do with verbal and emotional abuse, loss of self-esteem, inability to communicate effectively with someone I loved, and a lot of fear around being alone.

I realize now that those experiences all hold a very valuable gift for me, they are like treasure now because through them I discovered, or even developed you might say, my purpose. Those painful experiences, combined with the things I am naturally passionate about (such as beauty in the world, music, art, nature, etc.) allow me to demonstrate my purpose in everything I do. My purpose is more than just what I do professionally, it is who I am at my core, and I experience it through all of my senses. I could say that I see, feel, hear and know that the purpose of my life is to be authentic, beautiful, intuitive, powerful and wise, to enjoy beauty and the world around me, and to love, teach and empower others to communicate masterfully, love deeply, create consciously, and enjoy life fully.

And I know that I am able to fulfill my purpose no matter what occupation I choose, or what activity I engage in, because it is who I am.

You may have read my book Healing a Broken Heart (and if you haven’t – get a copy here, it’s free!)

If you have read it, I’m guessing that you were interested in it because you have experienced some heartbreak yourself. I’m doubtful that any of us can live a long full life without experiencing heartbreak. And unfortunately, heartbreak is painful.

Heartbreak is not limited to romantic situations, either. Any serious loss can result in a broken heart; the loss of a loved one, the loss of a position, the loss of a pet, the loss of dignity. I’m sure you could add a few of your own ideas and experiences to the list.

Having our hearts broken can leave us feeling weak, ashamed, broken, powerless, and without hope.

I’d like to give you a ray of hope (maybe a whole room full of sunshine) where your broken heartedness is concerned. And it is in this one idea: Your deepest wound is directly connected to your life purpose.

Your deepest wound is directly connected to your life purpose.

Having your heart broken feels terrible, and your feelings are a miracle.

In fact, the woundedness you feel in any given situation can be a big key to your purpose in that moment.

Your purpose is much more about “how” you are “being” than “what” you are “doing”. When you are being the person you were born to be, the power of that is evident in everything you are doing.

Alice Mary Hilton said, “A person’s worth is contingent upon who he is, not upon what he does, or how much he has. The worth of a person, or a thing, or an idea, is in being, not in doing, not in having.”

I was speaking today to a young man who is feeling some of the bumps and bruises of a new leadership position. Being a leader isn’t always comfortable. Conflicts arise and power struggles ensue, the result, he related to me is sometimes a “knot in his stomach”. He is a powerful and humble leader, a real master at communicating powerfully, and someone who is hugely intuitive. His painful past experiences have been a very real part of his leadership development. I believe that his life purpose is to be humble, skillful, a masterful peacekeeper and leader and honestly it won’t matter as much what official position he holds, he will always display powerful leadership and mentoring abilities because it is who he is at his core.

When we are able to fulfill our purpose we experience a powerful synergy between who we are and the world around us and we naturally create a life affirming impact on others as well as ourselves.

How are you able to connect your experiences (even the painful ones, especially the painful ones) to your purpose?

Love & Magic,