Do you believe in your purpose? If not, B.E.L.I.E.V.E to your purpose

Part of the Explore your Why – 9 part series

We have taken you through 8 elements of How to Explore your Purpose – once you discover it, the impact you can have on the community, country or beyond won’t necessarily be easy, but it will help you live your most meaningful life.

As you go through the exploration processes, you can often look back and see how your purpose manifested and your strength thread pulled you through.

When I reflect back to 2007, three significant events inspired me to start the YouMeWe Foundation (as the time called Ignite Excellence Foundation), with the mandate to provide tertiary scholarships to prospective women leaders in Africa.

by Suzanne F. Stevens, Conscious-Contribution™ Cultivator, Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), YouMeWe.ca

Firstly, when the late Dr. Douglas Carew, the Vice-Chancellor of the Africa International University shared that the biggest problem in Africa is leadership. Secondly, receiving a clear message that training Kenyan students on how to fundraise could assist in preventing the demise of a race. Thirdly, when I painted alongside teenage girls in a slum in Kenya and they shared their need for mentors.

While providing fundraising and presentation training, I started to question, was there not an African who could provide this development? Now, I offered the training for free, which was hard to compete with. So whose job was I taking? The question led to creating WisdomExchangeTV.com, now YouMeWe Amplified Podcast where I interview African women pioneers.

These WisdomExchangeTV interviews exposed the one characteristic that bonded all the women pioneers—their practice of conscious-contribution™. This realization evolved into the YouMeWe mindset, which reflects in the social enterprise and movement. Through years of sales, sales training, and this process, I capitalized on my strength thread – to question, isolate a gap, and then explore solutions.

Although many people enjoy their occupations, society is trending toward living a more meaningful life. The Z wants to be heard, the Y generation want to matter, the X generation wants to make their mark, and the boomers want their mark to mean more. In effect, more people whether they are starting their careers, mid-career, changing their careers, or nearing the end of their careers are seeking the opportunity to lead tomorrow’s legacy today.

So how do you take your strengths and transform them into your legacy?

 Before delving into how to leave a legacy, knowing what will motivate you every day is instrumental in having your legacy realized. This is where B.E.L.I.E.V.E to your purpose will guide you.

Your purpose is the synergy of your being, who you are empathetic or compassionate toward, what you love and enjoy, your inner strengths, the environment you like to contribute in, the values you hold, and the passion that empowers you. Its exploration can often collide with a meaningful cause that inspires you to put all your being towards its resolution. If a cause inspires you, it is worth asking yourself:

Why does this cause need me?

What value can I bring to it?

How can I move its mandate forward?

Contributing in-line with your purpose in a small way, or with complete devotion, is dependent on the time and resources you have. You may incorporate your social or environmental contribution into a model where you can also make a living, such as working for or leading a *social enterprise.

B.E.L.I.E.V.E. en route to discovering your purpose. It will guide you to living your most meaningful life. Take a step, then another, and then another, and your purpose will unfold the way the universe intended so you can lead tomorrow’s legacy today.

Until next time, put your purpose into practice and make your contribution count!

Until next time, make your contributions count.
#YouMeWeMovement #YouContributionCounts

Join us for weWednesday  –a short weekly video infusion to make your contribution count • for you • your company • your community. Subscribe on the right to weWednesdays to receive it in your inbox, or find out more here.