Part II – Fulfilling Your Soul Purpose

Happy Solstice everyone! Each year around this time, I create a new “Goal Map” for my coming year, sometimes combined with a Tarot card exploration. On our Oracle Soup podcast (December 27, 2013), Gina Thies and I cover a variety of creative ways to prepare for your new year with the cards. Here, I would like to share with you some special ideas and techniques I utilize to manifest my life’s potential.

Much of the information shared in this post is drawn from a powerful workshop I teach Finding Your Soul Purpose and Path in Life, an experience that helps students identify their strengths and unique skills. These qualities are then condensed into a focus and purpose in their life. Finally, we develop goals and the steps to work toward and ground their vision.

The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.
– Pablo Picasso –

We all have a purpose in life. Those who deny this fact may not be aware of their purpose, but once their life is examined and the breadcrumbs of influence and life choices are revealed, the pattern becomes more apparent. In my 25+ years as a psychotherapist and Transformative Tarot Consultant™ searching for one’s purpose is the most common theme I have observed with my clients and, thus, the inspiration for developing this process to help support us all in making better choices that align with our greatest potential.

Powerful tools for successfully realizing your potential:

1. Know your Soul Purpose, your Mission Statement
2. Create a Mind Map (or a Vision Board) as a visual mandala of goals and affirmations for the coming years.
3. Develop a Vision Statement
4. Work out doable steps to accomplishing goals on a time-line.

Although each of these four tools merits a page, and could be developed into a book, I would like to introduce you to them as concepts and make suggestions for further study.

Mission Statement

In a previous blogpost, Soul Purpose “The Call to Adventure”, I reflect upon the search for Truth we each are called to discover in our lives. This search includes finding your compass needle and aligning with it’s direction. An important element is discovered by understanding your needs, as defined in my last weblog, What is Desire?.

Knowing your orientation gives you a focus and direction in which to move forward with intention. This direction and intention is what makes up your “Mission Statement” as described by Laurie Beth Jones in her instructive workbook, The Path.

Mind Map / Vision Board

Next, allow your imagination and intuition to flow freely as you explore various dreams and visions that align with your purpose. For example, part of my mission is to be an inspiration for transformation and change. From this awareness, the character of my Tarot work became better defined, placing more emphasis on my transformational skills and gifts for the world…including this article.

Tarot folks have a great tool for visioning….Tarot cards. You can pull out one or two decks with visuals that inspire you. Go through the deck and select cards (face up) that match aspects of your dreaming. If you do not have a Tarot deck, this can be done with magazine clippings or internet images, such as on Pinterest. In essence, you are creating a collage incorporating the various parts of your visioning process.

One of my favorite tools for organizing the free flow of possibilities is to create a mind map. (BTW there are lots of great Mind Map apps) With your Mission Statement in the center, notice how many branches, or arms, there are to your world. As a Taoist, I utilize the Bagua Map to represent the eight areas of my life, changing some of the labels to match my life priorities. From each of these branches, there are finer details attached as limbs. My “Career” branch has limbs for: Soulful Counseling, Sacred Journey of Your Soul book series, Transformative Tarot Consulting™, Transformative Tarot Teaching. Then each of these limbs carry smaller offshoots such as with teaching: Professional Tarot Consulting Course webinars, Reader’s Studio 14 class, New Renaissance Bookshop classes, etc.

Vision Statement

By the time you have filled the page with your map or vision collage, half the work is done. This is your outline for developing a Vision Statement. In this statement, you affirm your activities as an unfolding story of your life and accomplishments. Remember, affirmations are written as if they are happening in the moment, are alive, a reality in your life.

Again, using myself as an example, in my Vision Statement I include language that expresses the current and ongoing activities mentioned above, with embellishments. Example: “My Professional Tarot Consulting Course webinar series is a huge success with students attending from around the world. The timely publication of my latest book, “Sacred Journey of Your Soul—through the Major Arcana, Vol. I” illustrated concepts presented throughout the course, inspiring Tarot readers to learn more powerful and ethical ways to support change and transformation for their clients, and the world.”

Goal Setting

It is my professional observation that goals are rarely met without developing a plan of execution. Not everyone has the concentration or diligence to jump into the deep end and swim a gold metal race. It requires preparation and baby steps in most cases.

From your vision statement, you know you have specific goals you wish to achieve. Now you back track and research the actual steps required to accomplish that task. Each step should build up to and support the next. Then, put those steps on your calendar, integrate them into your schedule.

Remember… it is the journey, not the destination, where you live each moment. So, only pursue activities that are life-affirming and satisfying. Even the most challenging tasks can turn to joy when you realize they are part of your soul’s purpose.

Look at me…although I do not identify as being a writer, I focus on the joy I feel being able to share my passion and wisdom with you. Even more challenging, as a Forest Mystic who prefers to hide in the woods, my mission to transform the world pushes me beyond my comfort zone to interface and connect with you and the world at large. If I can do it, I know you can as well.

Additional resources for fulfilling your soul’s purpose…

Previous weblogs I have written that compliment this topic:

What is Desire?

Soul Purpose “The Call to Adventure”

Authors I admire who write on this topic:

Barbara Sher — Wishcraft

Carl Calleman — The Purposeful Universe

Danielle LaPorte — The Desire Map

Debbie Ford — The Best Year of Your Life

James P. Wells — Tarot for Manifestation

Laurie Beth Jones — The Path

Lee Irwin — Alchemy of Soul

Rick Warren — The Purpose Driven Life

Here is a great TED Talk on “How to Know Your Life Purpose” with Adam Leipzig

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