What's your purpose in life? | Breakthrough with Travia, Performance & Life Coach

I'm Travia Steward. I want to help you move past barriers and obstacles that are preventing you from getting what you want in life. This is Breakthrough. What's up, my peeps? Happy Podcast Tuesday. Today is August 15th, and I'm in a different place as I record this podcast today because I've been really, really reflective. And, you know, those of you who know me probably are like, you're always reflective. I know, I'm always thinking. Like, I remember when people— when I was growing up and I would ask questions— even today, every now and then I get this— but I would ask questions to get to know people on a deeper level, and people would say, oh my goodness, you ask so many questions, you're so nosy. But what I know about myself is that The way that I thrive and connect is in connecting with other people. And I'm not the kind of person who wants to connect on, you know, these shallow levels with, you know, gossiping about someone else. And, you know, I want to connect on deeper levels, you know, the meanings of life and things, which makes this podcast episode Perfect today. And the reason why I chose to talk about meaning and purpose today was because this past weekend we had some people over, we had a pool party, and this was one of my favorite times of hanging out with friends because, I mean, there were, there was just 6 of us. And I tell you what, the conversations that we had this past weekend were so profound. Like, I learned things about my friends who I'd known for years that I just didn't know about them. And I love learning things about people that I just had no idea about. And so I wanted to think about and step into this episode talking about the concept of meaning and purpose in our lives, like what it means to seek it, what it means to find it, you know. And for some who don't seek it, or maybe some seek it and don't really know, it's like this elusive thing that keeps, you know, it's a slippery, you know, fish out of your hands. But I know that all of my life I've always yearned for a feeling of purpose, a feeling of, you know, being a part of something greater than myself, you know. It's like Being a part of something that even if I didn't get paid to do it, I would be so fulfilled from it. And when we talk about our purpose, this is the thing that we're here to do on earth. Our purpose guides us, right? Gives us meaning to our lives. It gets us out of bed in the morning. And without having purpose and meaning in our lives, we don't really know where we're going. What we're doing or why we're even here. And so the reason why this is so, you know, profoundly on my mind today was I was talking to one of my friends who just branched out on her own business, and she went back to school, and we talked about all the ways in which we hold ourselves back, all the ways in which society, the things that we think society is thinking, that we keep ourselves in shackles. We keep ourselves playing small. And she did that until I think like almost the age of 45, you know, similar to my story. And the thing about it is, you know, she was working a 9 to 5 job and now that she's an entrepreneur, she's a business owner, everything is beginning to click. Like she had all of these skills of, you know, doing, you know, she made these snazzy clothes. Like she, would go into a store and buy just a regular t-shirt and then like cut out the neck of it, you know, like glam it up, put some jewels on it, maybe, you know, some ribbon, some bling, whatever that thing is. But I knew that she had a gift for that. That was something that I didn't have a gift for. I didn't have a vision for those things. And to watch her talk about how alive she feels, how fulfilled she feels. Now, I'm not saying that You know, stepping out and doing something you haven't done before is easy, but that's part of the love and the challenges in it is finding the meaning and the purpose. Because I am a believer that we, that our purpose was instilled in us before we came to earth. There is a reason why each of us came to earth, you know, and it can look like so many different things. And so Even as a coach, especially as a coach, I've witnessed so many individuals from different walks of life who are looking for that meaning. And then sometimes you know that you're looking for something because you recognize that something is missing. You recognize that you want more. You recognize that, you know what, I'm just droning through my day, day in and day out, and you know, every day is, is like the next day, except the weekends. You may be someone who's living for the weekends because our purpose and our meaning for being here on earth is not strong enough. And so I remember a time in my life when, you know, I was uncertain about that path. And then I remembered in those moments what truly brought me joy. And again, I said it at the beginning of this episode, it's connecting with other people. And then it's pouring into them. It's inspiring. It's empowering people to be the very best that they can be because that purpose started with me. Like it was highlighted and introduced to me by my 5th grade teacher, Ms. Godin, who saw me so differently than anyone else had ever seen me in that I can recall. She was the person who made me feel smart. And accept it. Like I could do things just as good as the smartest girl in the class, as the smartest guy in the class. And that was the first time I really felt like someone saw me and that I truly mattered. And so when I connect with people and, and I wanna go on that deeper, that deeper journey of asking questions and, and peeling back the layers, That brings me such a high level of joy. And so in, when I'm hanging out with people and my friends and in my presence, I want everyone to feel heard. I want everyone to feel appreciated. I want everyone to feel truly accepted because I know that that was something in my life that I haven't always felt. And so part of my meaning in life is to give that back. And so when we talk about the vital step in the process of, you know, discovering and pursuing your purpose, it's about peeling back the layers. It's about examining what brings you alive, examining your passions that aligns with your values, the things that you want most in life, the things that light you up that you would do for free without receiving a penny for it. That is a clue to your greater purpose on this earth. Now, there, not everyone is actively seeking a purpose, you know, and you know what? That's perfectly okay. I'm not walking around going, how dare you not seek a purpose? You were put on this earth to have a purpose. But you know, to each his own. But I know for me, having meaning and purpose in my life makes me excited for Monday. I used to be excited, like when I'd lost my love for teaching, I used to be excited for Friday Saturday and Sunday. And then Sunday began to— I began to dread it because that meant I was going back to work on Monday. Now I'm excited for every single day, for the impact, for the lives that I can connect with and touch, you know, like, I am excited to build this business. I'm excited to impact more lives. I'm excited to help people get out of their own way and find their meaning and their purpose so that their cups are full and they can then pour into other people. And it's totally okay if you're someone who's not actively seeking your purpose, but if you are, your purpose can manifest in so many different ways. It can be, you know, maybe you're advocating for some type of justice. Maybe you are creating like art or, you know, theater, music that speaks to a certain person. Maybe you are providing some type of nurturing facility for families who are disadvantaged in our communities. And it doesn't always have to be this grand mission. It can be found in everyday moments. Maybe you're just going to help somebody take their trash out. Maybe you're going to help someone cross the street. Maybe you're going to help someone get their groceries from the grocery store. Maybe you're going to reach up and grab something from the shelf where someone else couldn't reach it, but just being of service to someone else. And so in those everyday moments, we can find joy and connection, and we can also find meaning there because ultimately I know that I want to leave people better than I found them. I want to, I just want to impact so many people, even in our everyday interactions. And so it's important to acknowledge that this journey isn't just, here's a straight line, I'm gonna go there, right? There are times when we go, am I doing the right thing? Times when we feel lost, times when it's like, I don't know where the path is, uncertain. The path, the path is muddy. The path is swampy. And then, you know, we dust it off and go, Yes, this is my path. This is my purpose. And so I continue to have moments in my life where I wonder if I'm still on the right track. And it takes me to sit in silence to meditate on and listening to my intuition, listening to that little subtle voice And then I know that I'm back on the path that I'm supposed to be on. So every now and then I have to go inside and ask very, you know, deep, profound questions. Am I working and living in my purpose right now? And the answer comes. So if you are doubting what your purpose and meaning is, ask, ask, you know, in silence and meditation, ask in prayer. And so, but make sure you're open up and listen, like you're open enough to hear the answers. And so in this search for purpose, you know, that will lead us to some insights that we may not have encountered otherwise, you know, things that, you know, it's like, I had no idea I really, really loved this and it brought me so much joy. And so Again, we can find purpose in small moments. We can find purpose in big moments. We can find purpose in growing and discovering and being, you know, self-aware. It can be, you know, a purpose. You know, my, my wife's purpose is, is science. She's a microbiologist and she wants to cure the world of TB, tuberculosis. You know, someone's purpose can be education, you know, to narrow that gap or close that gap. You know, one of my closest friends, her purpose is bringing people to God. You know, she wants to be an example of Christ's love. You know, someone else's purpose could be creating masterpieces. Whatever it is, it's something that's probably bigger than you. It's something that when you leave in this earth, It will be a legacy, a few little footprints that says, Travia walked this earth. Sarah walked this earth. John walked this earth. Clint walked this earth. Charles walked this earth. And it's also about embracing your authentic purpose and giving yourself that gift of meaning and purpose in your life. And acknowledging the journey that you're on. And you know what, learning from it and loving it, and then finding fulfillment in your own way, finding a way to find your own purpose, the thing that fills your cup so that you can pour into someone else. All right, my peeps, so if you're enjoying this podcast, please don't hesitate to share it with someone else that you you think might benefit. So here's to finding your meaning and purpose in life so that you're excited to get out of bed and pursue that thing every single day. All right, my peeps, talk to you next week.