What’s Your Porpoise?

Demystifying Life Purpose

“No wise fish would go anywhere without a porpoise.”

"Wouldn't it, really?" said Alice, in a tone of great surprise. "Of course not," said the Mock Turtle. "Why, if a fish came to me, and told me he was going on a journey, I should say 'With what porpoise?”

I’m thankful for Alice in Wonderland and that quote about a wise fish never going anywhere with a porpoise because it’s porpoise … uh, purpose … I want to write about today.

Years ago, I read a book titled, “The Renaissance Soul” by Margaret Lobenstine. The book was recommended to me by a friend who thought I might recognize myself on its pages.

I remember bringing the book with me to my corporate job, taking it with me to the break room along with my lunch. I opened the book and began reading. By page 19, after taking the Renaissance Soul quiz, I closed the book, left my lunch uneaten, and went back to my office and called Margaret. I’ve never done anything like that before. Much to my surprise, she answered the phone. What I said to her changed my life. I said, “I’m a Renaissance Soul. I’m only on page 19 of your book and I had to call you.”

Margaret and I began a coaching relationship very soon after that call. On our very first coaching call together, I was telling Margaret that I didn't know my life purpose; I didn’t have a life purpose statement; I just didn't know what I was supposed to do with my life because there were just so many choices. I was one of those people who everyone asks, “Is there anything you don’t do or is there anything you can’t do?” and I’d always reply not so far, no. Even as a little girl I used to say that I wanted to live a million different times and be a million different things. I went into theater and acting in my youth because I got to experience so many different emotions and situations as the characters I got to play.

So, after saying that to Margaret, she didn't miss a beat. She simply said, "Linda, I'm going to hang up the phone now. You write down your life purpose and call me right back."

And CLICK. Margaret hung up on me.

And I thought, call you right back? Call You Right Back? After I've just told you that I've struggled with this my whole life???

Crap. What do I do now? I’m paying this woman to help me, and she’s hung up on me, leaving me with an impossible task. 

So, I did the only thing I could do - I started writing and within 5 minutes, I swear to you, I "called her right back" with a life purpose statement, at least the start of one. And that’s how it all began.

Before I tell you what I wrote, what my life purpose statement was, let’s talk about what the world’s made up about life purpose.

Here’s my list of made up things, and there’s probably more:

1.     Life Purpose is an ‘it’. It’s a specific job or title. If you don’t have it, you aren’t doing it.

2.     Life Purpose has to be BIG. Like a modern day Joan of Arc, we have to get on that white horse and ride valiantly into the fray. (and we know how that turned out, don’t we?)

3.     Life Purpose is a destination. Once you’re there, well, that’s it. You’re there.

There’s so many more made up stories about life purpose, and it’s bumming me out just writing them, so I’ll stop for now.

Here’s what I know about Life Purpose:

1.  Life Purpose always finds a way. It’s infused in everything you do, even if you are in a job that feels too small for your spirit.

2.     Sometimes, Life Purpose is big and earth-shattering. And, sometimes, it’s ego telling you that you have to make it big. Life Purpose can live under the radar of social media influencers and be perfectly content to do so. You have to listen to your inner voice to know which one is yours to do.

3.     Life Purpose is an evolution of soul and spirit. It is multifaceted and focused.

So, what did I write down in those few minutes before I called Margaret ‘right back’?

I wrote, “I open doors to possibility”. That’s it. Just that.

Now, over my lifetime, here’s a list of the jobs I’ve held: actor, director, writer, receptionist, credit manager, a customer service supervisor and management development trainer; vintage jewelry seller, life coach, producer and host of an internet radio program; aerobics instructor, made keys at Woolworth’s and worked in their pet department; assembly line worker for a cosmetics company, a short order cook; a retail clothing style expert and a book editor. Now, I am a forest therapy guide and coach and per diem wildlife educator.

Where did I get to take that purpose of opening doors to possibility? I took it everywhere. Wherever I went, I opened doors to possibility; sometimes in easy, obvious ways and other times in more mysterious ways … even before I knew that was my purpose.

What I learned from Margaret is that we search to find our purpose as if it’s the ‘Holy Grail’ – out there, somewhere in hiding. Have you watched the TV treasure-hunting show, “The Secret of Oak Island”? It’s like that. We create this pressure to find “it” because we know that life will finally make sense when do. But there is no it. There’s only this essence we bring to everything we do. If there is an ‘it’, that’s it.

So, look around and notice. What’s infused in everything you do? Beauty? Compassion? Creativity? Digging for treasure or truth? Or something else?

Don’t look now but there’s a porpoise following you wherever you go.

Photo by Susan Wilkinson on Unsplash