Artists Discover Your Reason For Being

1. Introduction & Goal: Well, hi, guys. It's Christie, and I am here and so excited to be here. I just have been looking forward to this for so long. I've been doing a lot of preparation and just knowing and feeling that by you going through this particular course with me, it's going to be transformational. It's going to give your life meaning and purpose and balance and a feeling of fulfillment. And what better thing that that we can do for ourselves. It's definitely an investment in who we are and even potentially who it is that we're still longing and wanting to be. And so I created this group Artists Flourish now to empower artists and creatives and entrepreneurs to take time for yourself. The investment of time is sometimes overlooked for the pursuit of the investment of money. And so this is going to take a look at taking time for yourself to turn what is your passion into an income by maybe even starting a business from scratch and being able to scale it to make an abundant living beyond what you can make even in a corporate setting or a corporate position because lots of us land there I know I did myself and found myself unfulfilled. And so it was by going through this process that I'm going to share with you that I was able to gain a great clarity and find out that I wasn't I wasn't really investing my time in what it was going to take for me to be the best person I can be. And so, my greatest desire is to help and inspire and coach and encourage you to become the best version of yourself, that thing, that God given talent and gift that's inside of you, and to you know, just strive to pull that out from you and be able to show you what God created you and who God created you to be and what He created you to do. And so I'm so excited to be here. I know that the first step in going down this path of potentially creating a business for yourself, the first step is being certain of your reason for being and so you can flourish right now in these moments and grow vigorously and thrive. That is what we are going to do as we journey down this path, each one of us, and each one of us are going to find out that our journeys are different. And that's what is so cool that even though we're different, we're going to be united on this journey, and I'm just going to be cheerleading you on. So one of the things that is part of my past is this starving artist mentality. Even though I found out what I really wanted to do and even went to higher education college for it, and that was commercial art. And so I learned how to draw and to paint and to design and do all of the different things. I absolutely love it. I listen to Christian music and I could just spend hours and hours and hours doing it. So but what happened was once I got done with that school, I found out that there's this starving artists mentality, and there's, you know, not a whole lot of work for that, especially when technology and computers were coming into play, there became the scarcity and actual scarcity of being able to do what it was that I found that I love doing. So dealing with feelings of unworthiness and unacceptance and feeling that I wasn't valued, that here I had went and spent money and spent time on honing in these skills and not being able to figure out a way to be able to make money doing it unless I was somehow recognized by someone and put in some big lofty gallery. I wasn't going to be able to make money doing what I loved. And so I found that I needed to right away, go into a job. And I was a graphic artist, but it really wasn't my soul's passion to be there. And there was such a cap on what I could make there, too. So with that became, you know, a sense of low self esteem and just being unappreciated, maybe for the value that I thought was inside of me. Being unknown and confused and maybe even heartbroken. And so these were all the types of road blocks as an artist that I've been through in the past. And so I found myself going down the road of the corporate atmosphere and soon left the graphic arts behind and got into management levels and then winded up owning my own business and things like that. So the goal of this particular lesson is for maybe even what I would call an encore artist, you know, to have that encore artist mentality that even though those were the past those thoughts and things were in the past that once we can remember and rediscover who it is that we are put on this earth to be and what we are here to do, you find that you regain the courage and you start finding that you are accepted and that you're noticed and that you're worthy and valuable and loved and understood and appreciated. And so by going through this process, that, in fact, is what it is that you are going to arrive at as well. So this reason for being or this life purpose or meaning or calling or fulfillment all has to do with being able to take a look inside ourselves and asking ourselves particular questions. So, you know, what this journey of self exploration is going to teach us is by doing it together, we are going to maybe dive a little bit deeper than we've dared to do before, and we are going to really have the courage to get inside here. And this is a safe environment. And so the first thing that I want you to do is make sure that you understand that everything that we talk about in this program is confidential. And that it's not going to go anywhere else. And we're each going to commit to one another, that this is a really safe place to be able to talk about and be able to think about things that really mean a lot to us as individuals in our uniqueness and our journey. And so this first part, I just wanted to come on here and do an introduction of sort of the big picture of what it is that you're going to learn here. There's two different aspects of what it is that we need to dive a little bit deeper into. The one aspect is what it is that we do with our lives, and the other aspect is who it is that we are within us, who it is that we are trying to be rather than to do. So we've got what we are doing and who we are being. But before we can get down inside to our reason for being, we have to take a at some of the things that we're doing. And so there's four primary outer circles that we're going to look at, and that is what is it that I love? What am I good at? What can I be paid for, and what does the world need? And so those four things are crucial. To be able to answer, and I'm going to give you different resources so that you can take and ponder on that. And the whole goal or the thing that's going to bring you success is in each one of those categories is being able to brainstorm and then to rate what you've brainstormed from a one through a five, and then one being something that you like the least five being what you love the most and zeroing in and getting it down to one thing. So success is going to be able to get down to the one thing that's most important to you in each one of these exercises that we're going to do. We're also going to take a look at where a couple of these things intersect. So what you love to do and what you're good at, where those two intersect is what you're passionate about. What you love to do and what the world needs and where those two things intersect is what mission that you are here to do, what the world needs and what you can be paid for and where those two things intersect is your vocation of what you're here to do, and then what you can be paid for and what you're good at and where those two things intersect is what your profession is that you can do. And so this is going to be exciting, and you are going to find that if you stick with me throughout this period of time, you are really going to be able to have clarity, gain clarity and find out what you are put on this earth to do and who it is that you are that you are intended to be. And so with this is going to come a time investment, and you are going to need to do some different exercises and homework. And in order to gain traction on this and to move forward on this path, you're going to need to commit to, you know, going ahead and doing the homework and taking action. So what you're going to find at the end of this is you're going to have a reason to get up in the morning and you're going to maximize your personal professionalism, and you are also going to understand what it is that you live for and what your true north is, what your sweet spot is, what your purpose is, and all of that makes such a difference because once you know that, once you're able to instead of wish this or wish that, you actually find a backbone. And you start becoming really confident on what it is that you're here to do and who it is that you are here to be. And so there isn't there aren't many questions anymore after that. And so as we take a look at this whole thing, one of the neat resources that I'm going to give you today is 101 creative hobby ideas just to kind of get your juices flowing and take a look at and maybe even do a little bit of research because it's going to start helping you remember maybe what it is, what are some of the things that you love doing? So I want to just congratulate you on becoming a part of this. You are going to definitely be excited when we get to the end of this journey when you understand a little bit more about yourself and have discovered maybe some things simply because you haven't asked yourself certain questions in the past. And so, you know, finding clarity on your purpose and your reason for being is just that an exploration and self discovery that helps you to be certain of who it is that you are, we're going to be messy, and we're going to explore our beliefs and all of the things that make us uniquely who we are. And so welcome aboard. I see you. I hear you. You are meant to be here. You have a very specific thing that you are here that you're created to be, that you're here to do on the Earth, that is a value and that you're very good at, and you are going to discover those things. And that's the first step on this journey. And I am so excited to be here with you. This week's homework is to kind of just maybe take a look at those creative ideas, maybe explore your interest or other things that you have shown interest in in the past. You know, check out the Internet and start asking yourself some of these questions. What do I love? What am I good at? What does the world need? And what can I be paid to do? Just, you know, a little bit of an overview of that. And so, we are going to figure out how we can best serve the world and find our ultimate life purpose and what makes life worth living. I'm so glad you're on this journey with me. And we are going to meet again soon and go down this path together to what it is that makes life worth living and what makes us want to hop out of bed every morning and to just be excited for the day that God has given us. So Thank you for joining me. I can't wait to continue this journey with you. Be sure to take a look at things that you've maybe collected over the years that are things that you love and be reminded of those. And until next time, um just breathe in and start going from head to heart. So put your hands over your heart and just say to yourself, I am accepted. I am worthy. I'm appreciated. I am seen. I am heard, and I am ready to undertake this wonderful wonderful journey of self discovery. Until next time, take care and we'll see you again soon. 2. It's Time Flourish Now: Well, hi guys. It's Christie again. I hope you're excited to continue down this path with me. I know I'm excited. And so, and the reason why I'm excited is because I know that when you get to the end of this path and you have gained so much clarity by looking for answers inside of yourself instead of out here on the outside, you're going to have this really good feeling of just knowing a little bit more about who you are created to be and what you are created to do here. So that is worth all of the time that it takes. To spend and to invest and to get to. So that is actually our topic today is one of the things that I have learned in the past is that so many people feel like they absolutely don't have any time whatsoever. And so they're really anxious or they have great anxiety because there are so many responsibilities and things that come with say getting married or having a kid or buying a home or how. Oh, God, bless me. Sorry about that. I'm gonna continue to keep going here. So anyways, so one of the roadblocks that we have is just not having enough time to ourselves to really think about who we are and what we're intended to do and who we're intended to be. And so, time is really a gift, and it's a resource that has been given to us by God to be a good steward of. And, you know, I really, really struggled with this early on in life and just always had this feeling like I did not have enough time because I knew I had this thing inside me that I wanted to spend time on and invest in, but I really just didn't have the time that my vocation was elsewhere. And so, but there was always this longing and this desire on my heart, and so I found that I struggled with anxiety because I just didn't have any time on my hands to for myself. And otherwise, it seemed like when I did have some time, if I had too much time on my hands, then I found myself feeling depressed. Like there was some time but not quite enough time to invest in something I really wanted to do or a project I wanted to undertake. So then I found myself becoming just sort of bored and depressed with life if I had a little bit of time. And so it's so silly, you know, what happens. But because I struggled with this so much, I actually ended up figuring out how to self publish a book called It's Time Flourish Now. And so I'm just going to show this to you. If you can see that, it's called It's Time Flourish Now. And you can buy it on Amazon. Oops, I'm sorry about that. It's a little bit hard to see. You can buy it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble or all the different book stores. It was such a struggle for me, and I thought, you know, if this is a struggle for me to discover, you know, meaning and purpose and fulfillment, just because I don't have time on my hands, I would guess that there's a lot of other people out there in the world that are struggling with this, too. You know, life is really too short to be miserable, and yet we find ourselves not making any other choices and the choices that are sort of habitual. And so we don't want to stay stuck in a life of misery because we haven't learned how to define the life that we want to live or that we're intended to live because we simply haven't taken the time to do that. So one of the exercises that we're going to look at today is what type of time commitment are you willing to make in order to get through this process and get to the end and be able to run the race and get to the finish line? You know, so much of life, we can be miserable just because we don't take the time to do what it is that we need to do. And so this session is all about taking a look at you know, with life is just too short, and taking a look at, what have we been doing with our time that maybe left us feeling sad or discontent or unworthy or unaccepted or hopeless or uninspired or confined or doubtful or rejected or ungrateful or unfulfilled. You know, all of these things are feelings that when we don't spend time doing what it is that we are intended to do here on the Earth, that is a reason for heartache. And so what we want to do is get to a time where we are flourishing. And that time is right now. And so at the end of this journey, what you are going to be feeling is joyful and content and worthy and loved and hopeful and inspired and free and trusted and accepted and grateful and delighted and fulfilled in all of these wonderful things. But you got to take this time, I'm telling you. Time is going to be the true source for success here for you. And so this part of our journey is taking just little this little exercise before we get into the good stuff of commitment of time. And so the first thing that you're going to do is take a look at a calendar, and I want you to take a look at maybe, you know, start out with a month at a time, take a look at that month and look at it in terms of what are days during that month that you know that you already have prior commitments. What are days during that month that for example, you know that you're just not going to be working on this stuff. Perhaps it's the weekend. You're going to block those days out. So that'll leave you, say, Monday through Friday. Then you're going to take a look at your week and whether you have a job right now that you're working at, going to or you don't, you're going to take a look at the time that you have during that week, and are there certain days that may work better than others? Are there certain days during that week that you're not going to be available? And hone in on that and try and figure out where you're going to be able to spend time, invest time in this process. And then I want you to take a look at a day, say, Monday, for example. Let's take a look at the 12 hours or so that we have in that day. And what is the best time of that day or times of that day that may be beneficial or good for you to be able to be working on making progress towards figuring out what your reason for being is. And so this week's exercise before we really get into the main guts of things next week is taking somewhat of an inventory of what you've done with your time in the past, where you are right now with your regular routine and during the week and what it is that you're doing and even looking into the future and thinking to yourself, what kind of time am I going to carve away during my month during my week during my day that is going to allow me to be present here, to be working on myself and to be able to be making progress. And this is so important. I just could not go without this session of this time commitment because it is going to make all the difference in your success. And so one of the roadblocks is just, you know, lack of time, and we all have the same amount of time in a day. You know, we all have 24 hours in a day. And one of the things that my book goes through is taking a look at that 24 hours and what is it that we have to do versus what we want to do versus what we feel responsible for doing or maybe even what we're doing to please others. And being able to say no to some choices and yes to others. And so that's a really important inventory to take. Time, like I said, our goal here is that time is a gift, and in order for us to be our best self and to have abundance in time is maybe to say no to others and find a gap in our day to day living that, you know, putting co dependence aside, putting what other people think or pleasing or any of those things, put them aside, put the distractions of social media aside, put the distraction of television aside. Make a commitment on what you are going to do to invest this time in yourself because it is going to be so worth it, I'm telling you, you want to take on this opportunity right now, and I'm just taking a little pause before we get into the rest of the sessions. So time is really a choice. It's your choice. It's nobody else's choice but yours. And I want you to choose love, love for yourself. Investing in yourself is loving yourself. And I think that's why we're here right now. That's why you are drawn to this course because you want to take some time to love yourself. So let's make that choice and invest some time in that, you know, Time really isn't mine, I believe. I believe that I've been put here on Earth to fulfill a greater calling from God. And so in order to do that, I need to invest time in myself in order to be of service to Him. And so I take a look at three different areas of time time that I'm actually need to live a life, you know, eat and drink and sleep and shower and grocery shop and those kind of things. And then time that I need to save for myself and then time that I need to give away. And so it's really an interesting thing that I went through in the book, and if you're interested in that, I'll just put a link in the notes here. So if you want to check that out, you certainly are welcome to do that. But I just know that I know that I know that you committing to time and taking time to do this for yourself is going to make such a huge difference. And so now really is the acceptable time. No, you know, in the past and not in the future. But right now is the acceptable time for you. You're here. It's now. And this is the time for you to discover more about yourself and to live the life that you're intended to live. And so there's going to be a worksheet here for you that actually has you take a look at your own time and carve out some time. Actually choose a period of time, whether it's each day or every other day or, you know, a few different days during the that you're going to be available that you can dedicate solely in quiet time to yourself without any distractions. Now, whether you use a paper planner or you use your cell phone or you use a wall calendar, there's so many different things that a person can use and use what you're used to using or maybe buy yourself something special just for this course that can keep you on track. Whatever it is, make it a priority. Time is really a resource, and you know, how much time can you devote to this? How much time are you willing to devote to this in order to be really successful at it and make progress towards your goal of earning money and making an income doing what it is that you love to do. And so, part of the homework for this session is going to be to ask yourself some of these different questions. I call it the test of time. So the test of time has to do with, you know, what is it that I am going to do in order to carve out some time for myself in order to have a more fulfilling life and to find that calling or purpose on my life. And so I am so excited to continue this journey with you. I see you. I hear you. I accept you for exactly who it is you are. And remember, anything that happens within our group here is confidential, but this week, your goal, your homework is to look at the calendar and look at the next 12 weeks and to carve out some time specifically for you. You're worth it. You deserve. You have great value to share with the world. And by doing this exercise, you're going to get a lot closer to knowing your reason for being. So with that, I want you to dive in, take a look at time, don't let it pass you by, but take a look at it and just figure out what's going to work for you that you can invest in. Thanks a lot, you guys. I'm going to keep cheerleading you on. I know this is something that you can do and that it's really, really important. So do the homework, take action, and I will see you again next time. 3. What I Love: Hi, guys. It's Christie. I sure hope that you took time last week to carve out the time that it's going to take for us and for you to do the homework for this week. I'm so excited to continue this journey with you. I see you. I hear you. You're welcome here. And we're going to continue this week by going into figuring out what it is that you love to do. What is it that you love to do? You know, this seems like it should be such an easy question, right? It seems like it should be something that is so automatic that it would just be something that, you know, boom, there it is. But it isn't, is it? I know for myself, there are so many things. There are just so many different things that have came my way during life that I've simply forgotten what it is that I love to do due to a lot of responsibility that I've taken on as as a wife and as a mother and as a home owner and as somebody who likes to be involved in my church and on the Chamber of Commerce and the Salvation Army and all different kinds of things to try and contribute to the world in that way. And so I really sort of lost myself in what it is that I really love to do because I was so busy serving and maybe even trying to please others to a point that I've forgotten what it is that I love to do, and I certainly haven't invested very much time in it. And so with that, our goal for this particular lesson is trying to remember what it is that you love to do and remembering that to find success in this is going to try to really zero it down and get it down to just one singular thing that it is that you love. What we're going to do is we're going to do a brainstorming session and you'll see the exercise sheet that is a circle that says, What I love. And on that circle, you are going to go ahead and brainstorm all of the different things that you think of that you love to do or have loved to do. And so you're going to ask yourself some questions like, what is what are some things that you can remember doing even when you were a child that you really love that you could spend hours at that maybe you got different awards for or things that your heart really longs even to do even today, or just, you know, you just feel that it's part of your deepest desire, you know, you love to bake, or you love to cook, or you love to sew, or you love to fish, or you love to hunt or you know, there's something in there that tells you, that it is something that you love to do. So write down all of those things, brainstorm. I call it a brain dump. So just dump everything into that circle that comes into your head here. But remember, what we're looking for is what's in our heart. I mean, intellectually, we can say, Well, you know, I love to mow the grass. Well, and maybe you really do love to mow the grass. But what we're looking for is, you know, there's something inside here. That has been calling you for a long time and is what you really love to do. So that's what I'm wanting you to do is go in there and take a look at what it is that you really, really love to do that was put here on this earth to do. I'm trying to move my computer here a little bit, because I got some sunshine just catching me right now. So anyway, so go ahead and brainstorm that in that one circle. And then after that, after you get all of this brainstorming done, then what's going to happen is you're going to if you've got more than one thing that you've brainstormed, you know, maybe you could only think of one thing or you know you're one thing already. And so if that's the case, you can skip the rating scale. But if you have several things that you have brainstorm that you love, then what I want you to do is I want you to go ahead and get on this rating scale and write them down, and then you're going to take a look at them and rate them 1-5, one being something that you like the least and five being something that you absolutely love. So when you write those things down, um, one right under the other, it's going to give you some clarity of knowing that, you know, I really I guess this is the one that I like the least. I kind of like this one. Well, I really enjoy this one. Well, I like this one more than the others. But I absolutely love doing this one. So you'll know then as you sort of rate them, that one thing kind of pops out that's more important than any of the others. And so that is what we're going to have you do this week, and it's going to maybe challenge you a little bit in order to, you know, figure that out because I know it can kind of be intimidating when you start thinking about what's at one thing. But what activities do you love doing? What hobbies relax you or rejuvenates you or gives you energy? What do you find fun or interesting or motivating and can spend hours doing? In the past, when you were say 7-years-old, what was it that you had a natural inclination to? What was that one thing that you just loved doing more than anything else? And right now, if, you know, time or money were no object at all, what would you do or still love doing? But maybe you don't anymore. And then if you take a look into the future and you see yourself say at 80-years-old, is this something this thing that you love? Is it something that you can still be doing even then? You're long past a working career at that point, but it's something that you really love to do. So I want you to answer those questions and what what's so great about this is it's going to help you hone in on these skills and to develop them even more, but you can't do that unless you know what it is that you love to do. So you know, brainstorm some creative activities that you love doing for hours. And remember, I gave you that 101 list of hobbies that maybe there was something on there that kind of boosted you or you felt an energy wave come over you and you thought about that particular thing. Maybe you've got a Pinterest board that u is more heavily filled than the others. And so that's a good clue for you. And maybe it's something that your friends tell you, Wow, you're really good at that, you know, type thing. And so whatever's exciting to you and gets your juices flowing when you do it, what can you do enthusiastically or talk about for hours and never get bored of? These are more clues what it is that you love to do. So that is your homework for this week. You're going to brainstorm what it is that you love. And activities that you actually love to do. Now, these are things that you love to do, not just something you love, like I love ice cream. That isn't something that I do. That's something that I eat. So I guess maybe that's something you do, but you get what I'm saying. What is it What's an activity that you love to do? And then I want you to rate that on a scale 1-5 and come up with that one thing, that one thing that you love to do. So that's your assignment for this week. I believe in you. I know that you've got it in you to find the answers to that question. And I'm really looking forward to seeing what that comes out to be next week. And towards the end of this, I'm going to share with you what I've come up with for myself, but I don't want to, you know, get you going down a different path that your own thought process has right now because we're all unique and we're all different. And so, um think about that. You should have time carved out this week in order to make that happen. That's why we committed to time last week. And so, again, I see you guys. You're welcome here. Everything is confidential. It's okay to explore this. God put it in your heart for a reason, and that reason is to find it and discover it. So I look really forward to seeing you again next time and until then, happy hunting for what it is that you love to do. 4. What Am I Good At: Well. Hi, guys. It's Christie. Well, how did you make out with figuring out what it is that you love last week? I know, for me, it was sort of a challenge at first. I had to really think about it because I had so many things that I love to do, but I was able to narrow it down to the one thing I love more than anything else. It's more important to me than anything else. And so it was really quite exhilating to say the least, to be able to get to that point. I hope that you were able to dedicate the time that it took to really think about that as well and to make some progress on that. This week, we're going to talk about what it is that you're good at. And so, you know, one of the roadblocks that we have a lot of the times, is having, again, forgotten what it is that we are truly good at due to just the daily everyday grind. We find ourselves maybe we have invested too much of our time doing things that aren't so meaningful to us anymore. And it's okay to pause and take a look at that like we did with our time inventory and go, You know what? This really isn't fulfilling me anymore. And so maybe it's something you need to resign, you know, retire from. So at any rate, if you've forgotten what you're good at, due to the daily grind, this is going to be a great lesson for you to be reminded of. And so our goal here is to remember what you're good at and get down to validating just one thing that you're really good at. Now, I know you're good at multiple things, and you've got multiple skills and things. But just to help you out a little bit with this and getting closer to your purpose, usually, something that you're good at has come with some more education or experience or a it could even be something that you learned on your own, but it's really something that you are the best at, that there are people around you that know that this is something that your skills in this particular thing are maybe better than 80% of other people. You know, it's what you're good at and it can be either professional or it can also be personal, or it can be a combination of the both. But it's a skill. It's something that you've honed in on. It's a skill that you've practiced over and over again. You've had additional training on it. And so we're going to go ahead and in that circle, we're going to do another brain dump or a brainstorm of all the things that you can think of that you're good at. You know, it needs to start there, and maybe you've already got that one thing in mind that it might end up being. But for now, I just want you to take and dump out your brain. And remember, to try and go from here down to here. Go, You know what? What is it that I am really naturally good at? I have taken further steps to educate myself to get a little bit more training, and what are these activities that I do that I'm good at? It's not just, you know, something, that's out here that other people have told you you're good at. This needs to come from inside of you. And so, yes, you can get an idea from other people, and it's good to get an idea from other people. In fact, one of the things that I would like you to do as part of this week's lesson is, I would like you to either text or call or email a family member, a friend, and a colleague, what they think you are good at, because this is going to give you a clue. This is going to be something that you go. Oh. That's what they think That's what they perceive that I'm good at. Oh, isn't that interesting. And to get those other outside perspectives are really good, but they're just a clue. So remember that. Just because somebody says, Oh, you're good at this, don't take that as gospel. You need to bring that into here and then chew on that a little bit and ask yourself, Yes, I am good at that, but is that the thing that I'm the best at, you know, for yourself? So, um, what are your talents and your strengths and your skills? What are you naturally better at than anyone else? What are you good at? And then what are you not good at? Sometimes, if you ask yourself, well, what am I not good at, that automatically then comes up with the answer of what you're good at. So think about that. What am I not good at? You know, maybe what are you interested in and what are you not interested in? And so that helps again to sort of align yourself with what you know you're good at. Take a look at the past and think about in your past from when you were a young kid, say, 5-years-old, was there something in your past that you were naturally good at? And, you know, a lot of times we forget what that is because, like I said, it's due to the daily grind, and maybe even though we were good at it, we didn't continue to do it, and maybe we were good at it, and we did decide to get more training and more education or took on more experience with that. And so it's really a skill set. So think about that. In the present right now is if time and money were absolutely no object. You didn't have to think about that. Somebody placed you and said, Okay, here's all of this time and here's all this money. And what is it that you would use those two resources for to be even better at something than you are right now? What would that be? What would you enjoy doing that you are good at with those resources? And in the future, as you take a look at life beyond your working years and say you are, again, 80, 90, 100-years-old. What is something that you're good at that you could still utilize in those ages? You know, what is that? Is it gardening? Is it painting? What is it? You know what it is. You know, it's inside here. So ask yourself those questions, and there's a PDF of you know, of where you can brain dump. And then once you get that brain dump or brainstorming done, and you have a list of items that you're good at or things that you do that you're good at, I should say, then you're going to go ahead and you're going to put that on the rating scale. If you have more than one of them, you're going to put it on a rating scale, and you're going to rate that from a one, which is what you like the least up to a five, which is something you absolutely love and that you're really, really good at. And so what that rating scale is going to do, again, is it's going to help you decipher the one thing that's most important to you. So that's your assignment for this week. I'm so excited for you to continue this journey. You should already have the time carved out. If maybe however much time you spent last week on what you love wasn't quite enough time, then I would like to encourage you to spend a little bit more time this week because this is so important, you guys. This is going to all end up with you knowing at the end what is your reason for being. And it's going to make a difference in your life. It's going to transform you to be who God created you to be. And that, my friends, is something you want to invest time in. So until next time, have a great time thinking about what you're good at and go ahead and ask your friends and family. And one last thing that I'm going to provide for you that you can do to clarify it even more is a personality profile. Sometimes those can get us just a little bit clearer. On answering some questions ourselves, and they provide you with a report at the end that is really, really accurate. This one happens to be what's called a crystal personality profile. So I'm going to go ahead and leave that for you to enjoy doing as well, and that's going to give you more clues of what it is that you are good at. And so those are a few things that you can do to help yourself, figure out what this one thing is that you're good at. I'm so excited for you. I hope that you're excited about this. Even though you can't see for certain what's going to end up at the end, just trust me. Come along with me. I'm here to be with you. I'm here to cheer you on. And I know I know that this is going to be worth it to you in the end. So you're worth it. I see. I hear you. You're welcome here. Everything that happens here is confidential, and it's a safe place. And so you take this time and you invest it in yourself. I give you permission. Have a great time doing this and be true to yourself. Talk to you next time. 5. What I Can Be Paid To Do: Hey, hey, everybody. So we're coming right along, aren't we? And getting a little more clarity on that with what is our reason for being our purpose? What's going to really help us to get fulfilled here in this lifetime? And so this week, introducing the next part of the challenge here is what is it that you can be paid for? What is it that you can be paid for? Now, there might be a job that you're doing right now that you're getting paid to do, but this question has more to do with u if I could just erase the entire background of my life from everything up until now, if there was something that I really wanted to get paid for that would be something that I serve the world with with my gifts and my talents and things that I love and things that I'm good at, what is it that I could be paid for? And so one of the roadblocks that we find when we ask ourself this question is just this feeling of impostor syndrome of, you know, not being worthy of getting paid or not being enough to ask for payment on things that we're actually very, very qualified to get paid for. And people would love to pay us, actually, for the talent or that which we can bring to the table. And so this week, it's going to push you to ask this question. And again, instead of looking outside, you know, outside yourself at everyone else, look right inside here because there's such a confidence that comes with how you serve the world and what is valuable to them. So when we talk about serving the world, it's this unique set of clientele. There's certain people. There's certain people in the world that you know that you can help, and what you're going to give them as a solution to their problem is going to be very, very, very valuable to them, something that they wish that they could have found before now. But all of a sudden here you come with this thing, and it's right here in your hands, and they're like, can I pay you for that? You know, so this is something that we don't ask ourselves often enough because we don't think that we're worth the value that someone is willing to give us. And so part of the problem here about figuring out what it is that we can be paid to do is the problem of being able, not being able to receive genuinely and authentically receive as a gift something that is in exchange for what it is that I'm offering. And so this is really going to build up your confidence when you can start answering these questions and being true to yourself. Not from what anybody else has said, you know, you should be paid for, but what you yourself would like to be paid to do. And, you know, people are going to be willing to part with their resources. To buy what it is that you are selling because everything has value. Way back in the old days, what would happen is there's always been this exchange item for item or service for item or one person has a need and the other person has a solution. And so what you're going to be paid to do is going to be a solution to someone else's problem. And that can be very, very, very valuable to people. And so this week, what you're going to do is you're going to brainstorm all the activities that you can be paid for that other people are already doing. So with that, then, what I'm going to have you do is, I'm going to have you go on Instagram or on Facebook and just search what it is that you're thinking of that you could be paid for, and I want you to go and research someone else who's already getting paid to do what it is that you would like to be paid to do. You know, and it's out there. It's probably going to be pretty rare that somebody isn't already doing it. So there's a lot of great examples out there, not only with what it is that they're doing, but how it is that they're doing it and what they're charging in order to do what it is that they're doing. And so it's really a great exercise in going out and just doing the research and seeing what the potential or the possibility is for you as well. So really all it is is taking your place at the table and say this is who I am. This is what I charge. These are the options that I have available, and I would really like to serve this to you. And so that's one of the homework assignments for you this week. But getting back into what is it that you can be paid for? What are products or services that you can create or offer that people would pay money for. Let's just say that there are people out there with lots and lots of money that the situation that you find yourself in now, whether it's good or whether it's bad, is not does not equate to the rest of the world. There are many, many people out there in different situations than you find yourself in right now. And so there's plenty to go around for everyone. And so what job or task are you so good at it could easily be your profession that you could get paid for it. So last lesson we learned about what you're good at If you were to get paid for that, maybe it's a cleaning service, maybe it's baking bars, maybe it's sending out cards, maybe it's painting a portrait. Maybe it's fishing. There can be any number of things that you've always been good at and that you also love to do, and people would be willing to pay you to take them out scouting for fishing. You know, in the past, if you think about it, has there been an activity or something that you have given away for free as a gift? Um, or maybe you have been paid for this in the past already. But a lot of times what we end up doing is there's something that we love to do. We are good at it, and we're confident enough to give it away for free, but we're not necessarily confident enough to charge for it. And yet this is the one thing that people would be so willing to pay you for. So what is that? What is that one thing? What activities do other people ask you to help them with that maybe could turn into income? What is it that there is something you make and you give away, and people really have responded well to that gift? What is that? You know what it is. What is it? You know, if you think about it and you research other people who are already doing it, it's something that eventually you could make a really good living offering this type of work that you love and that you're good at. I think you'd find that the answer is yes. It's just a matter of putting 1 ft in front of the other, and you're going to find that there's a big world out there that's just waiting for you to show up. So what is something that you can offer for free right now? To obtain an email address. There's something that you can offer right now for free, in exchange for an email address. What is that? Well, I can tell you one of the things that I did recently, and it doesn't even have to be a big thing. It doesn't have to be a complicated thing. It can just be a simple thing. For example, what I gave away as a freebie, something that in exchange for an email was it was basically labeled what is your passion that you could make money on. And here is a list of ten things that could be generating income for you. And so it was just a list of ten different passions or hobbies that could create an income or make people money. And there were a lot of people who are willing to give me their email address in exchange for that one free list that I put together. And so once you're able to offer something for free, and you can see its value is the exchange of an email address. You begin to understand what this exchange process is all about. Maybe you give something away for free in exchange for an email address. Maybe the next thing is you give away you keep giving away things and you get really good at this exchange. And then finally, what you do is instead of giving it away, you actually charge for and so it's a step by step process that is going to help you to gain confidence and get you moving forward in the right direction. And so what is it that you can offer for what value to serve a younger version of yourself? So you've come this far. You've learned this much, you've experienced things, and there are other people who want to learn what it is that you already know because what this era of life is for you is it is a value to a younger you. So there's other people out there who have been through similar things, but maybe they're not quite where you're at yet. And this is something that you could offer that is a value to them, and they would be willing to pay for. So think about that. What is it that you can offer for what value to serve a younger version of you? It's a great question, and I think once you start asking yourself that, you're going to come up with that answer. All of the answers are right here inside of us. Most of the time we're not asking ourself the question. We're asking everybody else the question of what it is that I could get paid for. And then we get a skewed answer, and it doesn't quite align with who we are at the core of our beings. So we're going to go inside here, and we are going to take a look at what it is that we can be paid for. And so with that, we're going to again, we're going to do another brainstorm of what it is that you can be paid for. Let that do a brain dump. Just let it flow out, let it get out, let it come out of your head and get it on that piece of paper, and then try and narrow it down to ten or five or even three things, or maybe you didn't even get up to ten, and that's great. Maybe you know right off the bat what it is that you can be paid for. And so if that's the case, then, if you do have more than one thing, what I want you to do is put it on that rating scale and again, rate those things 1-5, and more than likely one is going to outweigh the other, and you're going to know what's most important to you. And so go ahead and do that. And then also, I want you to go ahead and research this thing that you can be paid to do. I want you to go out on the Internet and find out who else is doing this already? What are they charging? And maybe, you know, what does their benefits package look like? What does whatever they're charging include and see, you know, what is it when you're looking at what they are providing as a product or a service? What is one way that you could change that that would make it uniquely yours? And so, again, we're just trying to narrow this down to one thing. One thing that you are good at. And when you start really clarifying these things, you're going to really find out and appreciate what it is that you are put on this earth to do. So I look forward once again to being able to see in this challenge what it is that you can be paid to do with what it is that you love and what you're good at. And what is it, you know, continuing to go down this path, what is it that you can be paid to do? And so I really look forward to hearing back from you as we continue this journey together and keep on going, it's okay if you weren't able to get complete clarity on things. But as each day goes by, there's going to be something that clicks in your head, it's going to be a reminder to you of what it is that you can be paid to do. So enjoy this process, embrace it. And I just encourage you to look deep within and do your homework, carve the time out, and just make it happen. See you again next time. 6. What Does The World Need: Wiga Hi, guys. It's Christie. I just can't even tell you how excited I am here today because today's lesson has to do with how to serve the world and what it is that the world needs from us and what it is that we were made to do here in the world. And once we can align ourselves with this, we really start understanding our purpose and reason for being here on the Earth. And so, anyway, one of the big roadblocks that happens when we start thinking about what the world needs is not really knowing how to serve the world with who we are as a person and how to do that and to satisfy the deepest longing and desire of our heart and soul. So this is where serving the world comes into play. It's the passion and the compassion that goes into serving someone that needs your help that you have a passion for. You love doing it. You're really good at it, and people are willing to pay you even for it. And because of what it is that you are giving in exchange for that money, that servanthood, it's so necessary for us to start thinking about this as a service and how we serve others rather than how we sell others because nobody wants to be sold, right? You don't want to be sold on something. You want to be served. And I think right now in our economy, there is a lack of service. We've forgotten that really we have the gifts and the talent and the nature and the capacity to love and serve. And so that is what we are going to be thinking about in this lesson. And so our goal here is to become absolutely clear on who, what, where, why, how we want to serve the world and make an impact. Again, the who, what, where, why and how of who it is that we want to serve. We're going to become absolutely clear on that. And the clarity comes with understanding what problem is that we are here to solve. And this may seem, when you start thinking about, well, what does the world need? Well, I don't know. But it really gets to be clear when you think about it in this way. There are a whole lot of problems in the world, and then there is you. And right now, who you are is exactly the person to solve this problem in the world. And so this problem or these problems that the world has can only be fulfilled by you with your unique talent, with the skills that you're good at and with the experience that you bring to the table. And a lot of those experiences were hard, hard experiences. But you live to talk about them, and now you're here to serve others in the capacity that you can. And that's what we're going to identify here this time around. And so what we're here to do is we're here to define what problem there is in the world that only you can solve. Okay? There's only one you and there's only one problem. That you can uniquely solve and give to the world. And so, again, we're going to ask I want you to ask yourself some of these questions. Don't go looking for this outside of yourself because the answers are right in here. They're very, very clear. They may be hidden. They may be foggy. They may be kind of in a gray spot right now, but they're going to come out, and you're going to take a look at them, and you go, Ah, yeah. Yeah, that's it. That's it. And so, anyway, so some of these questions are, you know, what is the deepest longing and desire of your heart? What is that? What is it in the world that you really feel compelled and compassionate about? You know, who are the people in that picture in your mind that you really would like to contribute to that you'd like to serve in some way? What is your greatest desire of all the desires that you've ever had, what is the greatest desire that you wish to have an impact with? What did you go through in the past that you don't want to have others suffer through the same way that you did? What is that? What is it that you've been through, and that now you can make a difference with? You've experienced it already. You've been through it. You're on the other side of it, you don't want to see other people suffer in this way. And so it's definitely a problem that you can help solve in the world. I know for myself, one of my unique problems was I had actually been an artist my whole life. I had been validated with that skill of painting and drawing and doing all of the visual clarity things that come with being an artist, and I even had the opportunity to go to a wonderful college that allowed me to hone my skills of watercolor painting and acrylic painting and charcoal and technical drawing. Digital graphics and all the different things. And yet, when I graduated as an artist, I wasn't able to find work in in the field of traditional painting and things like that. So my heart goes out to other artists that are out there that they too, know they have this struggle with why it is that they're not able to make money or not only make money, but make a good living, make a great living, providing the skills and talents that they uniquely have. And so I am here to other artists. I'm here to serve entrepreneurs. Another skill set that I have is just naturally knowing how to start and run a business. And so the combination of being an artist and an entrepreneur are two things that really do go hand in hand because they're both such creative processes. And so I'm here to help and to teach and to serve others in that capacity. And so what I have to ask myself what problem in the world need artists to solve? You know? And so this is what I'm here to help with. I believe that you know, artists need help with trying to figure out how it is that they can be paid really, really well for doing what it is that they have the talent and skill set to do. If you're an artist, you know, what is it that you can help other artists solve? What problem is it that you can, you know, maybe you like to paint furniture. Maybe you like to build clocks. You know, there's so many different things that the world needs. And so there's other questions that I want you to ask yourself, What in the world makes you sad or angry? What problems in your society would you like to help solve immediately? Like, there's something going on right now that's in your heart, you want to get out there and help. You want to do something about it. What is that? What is it that compels you to want to make a difference? And what issues in your community or the world touch you emotionally? What is it that makes you you know, you just maybe not angry over, but it just makes you passionate about, you know, you know that feeling in your heart that comes bubbling up and goes, You know what? I need to do I know how to fix this. You know, you knew. There's a lot of things you do know how to do, and the world needs you for that. And will your work still be relevant a decade, ten years from now? You know, or even 100 years from now, what is it that you could contribute through the world that is uniquely yours that the world really needs right now? And so it's a great question to ask. You've got the answers inside of you, and all you need to do is keep yourself. And so, once again, So once again, you're just going to brainstorm what it is that the world needs and try and get it down to ten or less, put that on the rating scale, and then however many you have brainstorm, you're going to rate on a scale 1-5. And from there, you're going to get it down to being able to select the one thing that is most important to you. And so you know, out of all the problems in the world, what is the most important problem that you would like to help solve? And it doesn't have to be anything extraordinary or, you know, just life changing or anything like that. But you know there's something in the world that you uniquely can help solve. And so go ahead and do the homework on and we're going to catch you again next time. 7. What Is My Passion: Well, hi, again, guys. I think by now, you probably are starting to get a little bit of a feel for what this journey is all about, kind of leading you down that path of really looking within yourself to figure out who you are and what it is and the reason that you are here and your reason for being and your purpose and what's really going to help you become fulfilled in life. And so the next lesson that we have is figuring out a little bit more about your own passion. And so one of the roadblocks that we run into when we think about our passion is just not really knowing or being sure of my passion what that is. Now, what passion is is it's sort of a crossing of what it is that I love and what I am good at. And what that by combining the two of those together, what becomes of it is a really strong, maybe even barely controllable emotion, which is what we call passion. And so our goal here is to dive deeper to define your passion and it's one of those feelings that absolutely light you up. You are just completely in your in your glory in your finest moments when that passion just has your heart racing and you know that you know that you know that it is something worthwhile and it gives you great value and confidence as a person. And so if you did not earlier on, be able to figure out that one thing that it was that you love and that one thing that you're really good at, this is a time when you're going to go back to those two activities and you're going to ask yourself those questions again because this is where the two of those things collide together to create a passion. And so what is an activity that you have a really strong or extravagant fondness or enthusiasm or desire for? What is that thing, that thing that you are so passionate about? Every time you think of it, it just kind of it lights that fire. It ignites something right inside of you. You know what it is. And you know, an example of passion is, for example, when you absolutely really love art, and when you're mixing those colors and you're putting those colors on a canvas and you know that you know, that you know that this is something I'm really passionate about. It's that passion is just a really strong desire, and knowing that you can do amazing things. You can. You can do amazing things if you step into your passion. So what is that passion? What is it that motivates you to act upon it? What is it that if you didn't have that passion, there would not be a real reason for you a really good reason to continue on. You might find yourself bored. You might find yourself wondering what to do with your time. All of these types of things come into play when we can't pinpoint something that we're passionate about. You know, you might be passionate about riding a bicycle or you may be for me, one of my strong passions is faith in Jesus. And so what He did by dying on the cross for me and my sins has allowed me to wake up and be able to be here with you. And so that's one of the things that I'm really passionate about is just the knowing and how much I'm loved as a person. And it just brings me great joy to know what He went through in order to give me to give me that confidence of love and so it's a wonderful thing. And, you know, without action, passion really yields no worthwhile results. So, in other words, if I'm not acting on my passion, if I'm not doing something to make steps towards what I'm passionate about, then that passion is really going to be it's really it's not going to be worthwhile to me, but it's in there. It's an inside of me, and sometimes we snuff out our own candle of passion due to responsibilities and daily grinds and things that we've taken on that really we had no business taking on. And so we get away from doing that what that, which is what we truly, truly love to do and what we're really, really good at. And passion is the fuel and the fire of action. So it gets us to take action. It makes us want to just stand up and tell the world when you have passion for something. You absolutely love it, even when you hate it, if you know what I mean? I mean, it's like golf. I love golfing. But Goll, I hate golfing sometimes. So, man, I love when I have a good shot. Man, I hate when I go in the water. You know what I mean. It's that type of thing. It's a passion. You love it even when you hate it. So what is something that you can read about for hours on end or you can find yourself in social media with? What is that passion of yours that's deep inside your heart that it's there, you know it's there. You know it is. So, um dig deep and find it. We're going to have you brainstorm again. If you didn't get down to the one thing that's most important to you and what you love and what it is that you're good at, you need to go back to those two things and take a little bit harder look at those because where these two things intersect is where you meet your passion. And so Go ahead and take a look at, you know, what it was that you loved, what it is that you're good at. And then I need you to brainstorm again, what it is looking at these things makes it these two things intersect to what you're passionate for. And what is that? What is it that you are so passionate about in the world? And then once again, once you get a few ideas, you've got those down there. Once again, you know the routine. You're going to rate it 1-5, and you're going to get down to that one thing that you're really passionate about. Now, there's going to be, I know people with more than one thing of all of these different things that we're going through, but you're really going to feel successful when you can get down to that one thing that you know that you're passionate about. So I just want to continue to encourage you to really, really look in your past, think about things that really lit you on fire. Think about even today when you sit here. Again, if time and money were no obstacle whatsoever, what is it that you would dive just head deep into because you can. You can do that. So think about that. And just think about how as you go forward, and you are say you're retired now, and it's something that you could see yourself continuing to do because you're so passionate about it, that this is something that you could do for the rest of your life. So go ahead and chew on that for a while and see what you can come up with. And then we're going to see you again. So good luck and keep on going. This is just a journey, step by step journey. It's nothing to fear. It's just something to get clarity on. And I am cheerleading you through this. We're going to do this together, and it's going to be great. So go ahead, do the homework, carve out the time, put yourself first. You are worth it. See you next time. 8. What Is My Mission: Okay well, hi, guys. It's Christie. Coming back again here, wondering if you've ever asked yourself what your mission is. Have you ever thought about that? Have you ever thought about what your mission is here on Earth? It's a little bit different of a question, isn't it? You know, one of the roadblocks that we have is not having clarity or being sure of what our mission is here. And what a mission is, is it a very specific task with what a person is charged to do. So it's as though you've been appointed by someone else to say, Here's your mission. Go out and conquer the world, right? And so it's a really good thing to ponder. And what is interesting about what our mission is is it's going back now and remembering what it is that we love. So now we've kind of went over this a couple going on three different times. Now, what is it that I love, and it intersects with what the world needs. Those are the two things that if you haven't gained clarity on those two things yet, you need to go back and take another look at those, what it is that you love and what it is that you're here to serve the world with. And by the intersection of those two things, you're going to figure out your mission. And so I know as a business owner, there were a lot of times when I was defining what the mission for the business was. What was it? What was that North Star? What was that sweet spot? What was the thing or the task we were charged with that was something that we loved, but it was also something that the world needed, and we needed to be able to define that. From what we called a 30,000 foot view. So if you're way up here looking down, you kind of see this big overall picture of perhaps what your mission is. But then you can bring it on down to maybe a 10,000 foot view. You start to get a little bit more specific about what your mission is. And just by going through these exercises, we're going to zero right in to what it is that you were created to do here and what it is that your mission is. And so you're going to go from this roadblock of not knowing or being sure of what your mission is to being absolutely certain and sure of knowing what it is that you love and what the world needs. And you're going to clearly define what you can do for your clients that sets you apart as your personal mission. So a mission is a specific task, again, in which a person is charged to do. You are meant to do this. This is what you were created to be. This is what you were created to do. It's where what you love and what the world needs intersect, and this becomes your mission. And it is so important to really know and understand this about yourself. And you're going to start finding out the more and more you gain clarity on each one of these steps, the greater confidence that you're going to find that you have, and that, instead of having a wishbone, you start to have a backbone, and you get to start standing up really straight, and it feels really good. So your own mission in life can be anything that you pursue with enthusiasm. You know, you're excited. You're glad to be a part of it. It's something that you know is going to make an impact on the world, and you're really happy to be doing the work. And so what mission are you really enthusiastic about? And of course, you know, I could give several different examples, but maybe your mission is to stop drunk driving. Or maybe your mission is to increase recycling because that's something that's really important to you. And you know, you want to have a clean earth and a clean world. Maybe your mission is to lead people to Jesus. I know that's one of my missions, and it feels good to me. It makes me so enthusiastic. I get so excited to to help people understand their value. And it's all related to what Jesus has taught me. And so what is a task that you regard as a very, very important duty? What is it that, should not be left on the side of the road not to be dealt with, you know, it could be something as simple as making sure every light in the house is off in order to conserve electricity, or it could be something as complex as maybe feeding hungry children in Africa. Maybe that is more of your heart's desire. Whatever it is, there is a deep emission that's been placed deep inside of you. And you know what it is. And again, it's an intersection of what it is that you love and what the world needs. And this is what the mission is. This is what you've been charged to do as a task. So finish this sentence. My mission is to and then write the answer. What is your What is your purpose? What is your mission? And so there's a lot of different resources out there that you can use to find and create your own personal mission statement, which is really quite valuable, and I encourage you to do that. In fact, I'll go ahead and put a PDF here for you of one that I ran across that I think might be helpful for you if you want to go ahead and do that exercise to gain more clarity. But again, I want you to go ahead and brainstorm that. I want you to just do that brain dump, write down all the different things that you think might be your mission, and then you're going to bring that onto the next page that's a rating scale and rate them all 1-5, and then you're going to go ahead and find out what is the one most important thing, again, that is your mission where what you love and what the world needs intersex, and you have been the person charged on this earth. To go ahead and pick up that task and run with it. So once again, I'm rooting for you. I'm so happy you've made it this far. Let's keep going. We've got more work to do. Carve out some time. I don't care when it is, if it's the middle of the night, if it's early in the morning, if it's late at night, if it's in the middle of the day, it doesn't matter, find a quiet spot. Really take a deep breath, take some time, hold your hand on your heart and just think about that mission. What is a mission that you have been charged to do and have fun with it, but take it seriously, and I'll see you again next time. 9. What Is My Profession: Well, hi guys. It's Christie, and today we are here to talk about your profession. And so what the defining meaning of profession is, it's the intersection between what I'm good at and what I can be paid for. And so one of the roadblocks that we find ourselves wondering, and especially younger students maybe graduating from high school is just really not knowing or being sure of what it is that I want to do to be my profession. It's basically what it is a paid occupation. It's something that I'm good at and that I can be paid for. So if you didn't get the two things accomplished earlier in these lessons, you'll need to go back to the one that is what I'm good at. And the one that is what I can be paid for. And so go back to those and get clarity on those and then come forward to this lesson, which is where these two things intersect to create the profession that will be enjoyable for you. You know, maybe you find yourself in a profession right now that isn't so enjoyable. Maybe it's something that you wonder how you landed there. Maybe it's something that you kind of are just over with. Maybe you realize that it isn't bringing you joy and it's not something that really you could see yourself doing for much longer. In fact, it's something where you just can't wait until you retire or maybe you're in a job right now, and you just find yourself needing to find a different one because you're just getting up, you're punching the clock, doing the work and it's really not resonating with you. It's not something that gives you contentment or satisfaction or any of the above. But at any rate, what we're going to do now is, again, we're going to clear the air. We're going to erase the past, and we're going to find ourself right here in the present moment. I want you to just imagine for yourself, maybe close your eyes, put your hand on your heart, and just imagine for yourself. If right now, right now you did you found yourself in this moment, and you could choose whatever in the whole wide world you wanted to do and get paid for because you know that you're good at it and it's something that other people are being paid for already. What would that be? I know you can get kind of bogged down with where you're at in a current job right now, but we're just going to set that aside for a moment, and you're just going to think about, you know, if the world was round and perfect, if I was in this bubble now, and regardless of any of my past circumstances, I'm standing here and I'm able to make a new choice. What would that be? What is it that I'm good at it, and what is it that I can be paid for? And so profession is a job at at what you work for and what you have maybe even had some training for. What is that? And maybe the training is self taught. It doesn't have to be formal education. It could be, you know, hours that you've spent researching something on the Internet and you just know that you're naturally really good at this, and you could be paid for it. And so what we're going to do here is clearly define an occupation requiring maybe some advanced training of some sort. It could be a college degree, it could be other certificates or things that you have been able to obtain, things like that. A profession is really a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation. And so you kind of start understanding what I'm talking about here. So the definition of a profession is basically an occupation that you get paid to do. So again, you may have landed somewhere where you wish it could be something different that you're doing right now just with past circumstances and whatnot. Well, now is your opportunity to take this time that we have got here together and really think about that. Think about, you know, if you could take what you're really good at and what you can be paid to do, and think about what that occupation would be that you know that you would thrive in. What is it? You know, being a member of a profession or being a professional is generally seen as an indicator of integrity and ethics and trust and expertise. It's something that you have really got a handle on that you have put a lot of time and effort into. People come to you for knowledge in this particular area. And so profession is really a disciplined group of individuals who adhere to certain ethical standards and who have the special knowledge and skills from either research or education and training at a very high level and who are prepared to apply this knowledge and exercise these skills in the interest of others. You think about taking a nurse, for example, they went to secondary schooling, they learned all of these different techniques, even as much as maybe putting a needle in your arm that takes a certain amount of time and practice. And so there's that. For myself, I actually my hire training was in commercial art. And so I spent a good long time honing the skills as an artist. And so I have that occupation that I can now contribute to the world. One of the things that I think is going to be really helpful as you do your brainstorming on what is your profession? Or, again, what is the intersection between what you're good at and what you can be paid to do? As you brainstorm that again, putting down all of the different things that come to mind, and then again, putting them on a rating scale and seeing which one ends up the most important. One of the resources that I have for you on that is it's from the Well, it's called the NAICS Association. And what that is is it's an industry basically definition of all of the different types of professions in industry that u that are viable and are profiles per se of different things that people consider an occupation. And so it's really quite interesting. You can visit it online, and I'll put a link in the lesson plan here, too. But if you've never heard of it before, I would highly recommend that you go take a look at it. Once you get in there, you're going to find that there are different categories, and each category has a certain a certain number associated with it, and that particular number is something that gets carried over to when you start a business and what category of work that it is that you're going to do. And so the category that I fall under is independent artists, writers, and performers. And so it's quite a broad category, but I know that I know that I know that I belong. In that particular category. I hope that's really helpful for you. Take a look at it and then come back to the brainstorming and the rating scale and try and determine and get down to that one thing that's most important to you as far as an occupation is concerned. All right, guys, you've got another homework lesson lined up and needs to be fulfilled. Carve out that time. Put the distractions away, let other people know that you need to have a little time out for yourself. If that's the case, lock yourself in a closet or in a bathroom, in a garage, wherever it is that is quiet and gives you a little bit of alone time to take a look at some of this stuff. You're worth it. You're worth the time. You are worth the effort, and getting clarity on these things is going to make all the difference in the world. Keep coming with me. We're on a journey, and it's taking you a long way, and you're going to see here that it's going to make a difference. So I'm so proud of you for sticking with me up until this point. Let's keep going. Have a good time doing the research. See you next time. 10. What Is My Vocation: Well, hi guys. It's Christie, and I am here today to talk about something that may be a little bit elusive to some people, and that is the word vocation. We're going to take a deep dive today into this word vocation and try and get a better understanding of what it means and why it's important to us. And so one of the roadblocks that we find when we start thinking about our vocation is sort of this uncertainty or not knowing or being sure of really what that word means. Or how it differs maybe from an occupation or career of some sort. And so as we kind of journey into this, this is one of the topics that I get really passionate and excited about. And the reason for that is because I'm a Christian, and I have been so privileged and honored to be able to share in the joy of what it is of knowing God and His purpose and calling on my life. And so I just want to go into this in a little bit more detail for you so that you can get a better understanding of what it might be for you. So as we've journeyed down this road together, we start talking about two of the four main things in finding your reason for being or your calling, two things intersecting. And so we've done that a couple of times, and now with vocation, there are two of the primary things intersecting once again, and those two things are what the world needs and what you can be paid for. And so when those two things intersect right there is where you're going to find your vocation so the interesting thing about vocation is we think it is something a lot of the times that is more a self choice. And that is so far from the truth. It really doesn't have to do with self choice, this calling or this desire or this thing that we're being pulled towards that we're trying to put our finger on it's something our heart is already connected to. And we know it. You know it. It's inside of you. Your heart is connected to something that just kind of keeps tugging you along, right? I just keeps pulling you along. And the interesting thing about this is this again, is part of our birth. This is something that God placed in our hearts really deep before we were born and it's going to stay with us all the way to the grave. And so a vocation is something that we aren't doing for ourselves, but it's a part of who we are that we're able to give to others and serve with. And so this is really, really an important part of this lesson. And I really want you guys to think hard about this. And again, we talked about carving out some time early on, and this is going to take some time for you to carve it out. There's all kinds of articles and things out there that talk about vocation. But one of the things that I really love the most when I think about it is vocation is really all about love. It's God's choice for you. You're always thinking, well, I'm going to choose this and that's going to make me happier. I'm going to make this choice, and that's going to bring me joy. Or if I do this, I will get that. Really, vocation doesn't really have anything to do with what I am choosing, but rather it really comes from listening to God's still small voice and knowing that inner knowing what we are called to do, what we are meant to do. It really comes from this stillness and the love of God and the choice that He put in your heart before your time on Earth here even began. And so, isn't that awesome? So what is it? You might be going, Well, how am I going to know that? And that's what we're here to think about. You know, a lot of times we go through life without even asking ourselves these questions so that our minds can't then even try to begin to formulate the answer. But what I have found is merely by asking a question, God also created our minds and gave us a heart and a mind to work together to be able to discover the truth of ourselves. And so you are going to witness this as you dive a little bit deeper into asking yourself what your vocation is, what your calling is and what it is. What is this love of God all about? You know, like I said, it's God's choice from you, and it's truly a gift. It's a gift that's been given to you, that's been placed inside your heart, and it's wrapped up in this little package, and it's there for you to open up. And so it's also irrevocable. So what that means is it can't be undone. It was placed inside there for you to carry with you throughout your whole entire life. It's not a job you go to. It's something you bring to where you go. And so, isn't that just the coolest thing to think about? While you may choose an occupation or a career for yourself, a vocation is God's choice for you, where He sort of invites you to undertake for the love of Him, what it is that you can carry out. So you're not doing this for self. You're doing this for love of others. And really, any type of love for others is love for God. And so that's what makes this so important and so fruitful and fulfilling. And something that you've been searching for and you haven't maybe quite known how to search for it, because it's not out here. It's not these choices that you're making. It's something that's placed inside here, this vocation, this vocation of what you are intended to do with your life, where what you can get paid for and what the world needs intersect. And so, you know, a lot of the times when I'm talking to myself, I'll ask myself, well, what would Jesus do or what would Jesus want me to do? And so when I ask myself that question, it's really helpful because it brings whatever topic or thought process that is going on inside my head that might point to myself. And it brings it out to think about, you know, what is it that Jesus would want for me? And so to give glory to Him and you know, it's the greatest thing that a person can really elevate their mind to think about. And it's a really strong feeling of of suitability. Like, it suits you. You know that you know that you know that you're suited for a particular career or occupation because of these gifts that are already placed inside of you. And so our goal with this is going to be to clearly define your employment or your main occupation regarded as particularly worthy and requiring great dedication in service towards all different types of things. It could be creativity. It could be leadership. The neat thing about a vocation is that I believe that it is given to us by the Holy Spirit. And I've got some notes here, so that's why I'm looking down. But it's really a gratuitous gift, a gift, and it's sort of a grace that you've been given. It's an undeserved gift. And that's why it seems so elusive is because you've been given it and you don't really deserve it, and you know it, and yet you have it. And so that is what it that's what a grace is, it's an undeserved gift. And so, there's a lot of different types of vocations that we can have. And, you know, I can just rattle off some different things here that you might resonate with, like, you know, maybe it's building things or fixing things or investigating things or maybe it's about making connections or building relationships or even creating a dialogue or healing wounds or adding humor to something, persuading people, organizing things, selling things, doing the numbers thing, resolving disputes, instructing others, optimizing things, making deals, starting things, designing things. You know, there's all of these things that can be part of this grace or this gift that is placed with um within your heart that's inside of you, placed there by God, that is meant to be shared towards others. It's not something that you keep for yourself and that you're selfish with. It's been given to you to share. And that's why we get to this intersection of what the world needs and what you can be paid for. Once you discover what this vocation is and you begin to share that with the world, its value is priceless. And so that's why it's so important to think about and get a better understanding of potential you know, what this vocation is. So if you didn't really, um come to a point of knowing what it is that the world wants or needs from you and what it is you can get paid for doing. You're going to need to go back to those exercises and take a look at those and think about those a little harder. Again, all of this stuff takes time, right? But if you did get that much of the exercise done, you can take a look at those two things and think about, you know, what is it that's been given to me as a gift that is my vocation. It's actually it's one's response to a call from beyond yourself and to be able to use these strengths and gifts to make the world a better place, right? That's why it's the intersection of what the world needs and what you can get paid for. So it's really a neat thing to contemplate each vocation is an unearned grace and gift, and the grace experience, this unearned gift that is experienced by you, makes itself known as call or as vocation. See? So that's what it is. It makes itself known. These gifts that you are given makes itself known as call or vocation. So when you ask yourself, well, what is my call or what is my vocation? The first thing you need to try and get a handle on is what are these what are these gifts that I've been given since before my birth that God has put on my heart, that keeps calling me, that I keep having this burning desire in my heart I want to share with other people. A vocation is knowing that this particular job fits your skills and abilities and your talents and that you are to contribute to the world in this way and to serve others. So it really becomes a fruitful thing that you know that you fit here. That when you share these gifts, it feels good, you're contributing to others and you fit. There's something about what you've been given, the talent that you are that people appreciate. And when you serve it to others, they are so grateful for that service. So again, this is intersection between what the world needs and what you can be paid for. And this vocation is a really strong impulse or inclination to follow a particular activity. Now, I know for myself, one of the things that keeps calling me and calling me is my creativity of painting and art and just wanting beautify the world and bring joy to others through the talent that was placed inside of me. And so I believe that's really a divine call by God. When I do this type of work, I really feel like it's something that is beyond myself that I kind of almost, for lack of a better term, I surprise myself with my abilities in that area. And when I'm done with something, I go, Wow. That's really good. Like, I don't feel like I could do that by myself, but rather that maybe God had his hand on it and that I was an instrument in that to serve others. And so it's really a neat thing, and you feel really good when you have or when you know or you're working in your vocation. So we get very energized and we feel like we've found our place or that we fit, and we are fruitful and effective without undue struggle. So it becomes very easy for us, right? And so we may experience even a joyful satisfaction when we're doing it. You know what it is, don't you? You know what it is. You may have tried to kind of scoot around it or deny that it exists or not have taken time for it, or, you know, different things. And I'm just going to tell you to quit that, you know, this gift was placed inside you for a reason and this gift is there for you to share. And when you begin to share the gifts, your heart is going to start swelling with joy. And so it's so important to figure this out and define this. So it's a divine call by God. It's a person's vocation. It evokes in most of the gifts and the abilities and the passions and the dreams and the broader life purpose. And by using our gifts, our gifts to serve, we are responding to God's vocation for us. So it's not really like our calling. It's not a choice that I'm making for myself. It's God's vocation on my life that he placed deep inside me before I was born, and I'm going to take it to the grave. So even when I'm done working in a career or a job or occupation, I'm still going to have these gifts inside me that I'm going to be able to contribute in another way outside of my job. So do you see what I'm talking about here? It's something that we bring with us throughout our lifetime. And so this is a really exciting thing for us to ponder and think about. And so you're going to do the same thing as we've done in the past. You're going to brainstorm. You're going to dump all of this in your vocation circle of what are the things that I really enjoy? What are things that ever since I was little? I just know that I know that I know are these gifts that make my heart swell. And so you're going to go ahead and do that. And then, again, when you come up with something if it's more than, you know, three or five or even ten, I'm going to have you rate them again on that scale 1-5 and so that you're going to be able to narrow this down. I really want you to be narrowing these things down and seeing if you can get down to one. One in each of these because what that's going to do when we get to the end of this is it's going to really make things clear. And you're going to be really surprised and delighted and joyful and all things, all of the things, but you need to take the time and you need to do the work and you need to take the action. I'm here for you. I'm cheering you on. I know you can do this. I know it's not easy, but you're worth it. You are so worth it. I love you. I'm here for you. Keep on going. Keep going. Don't stop. It might be hard. But you can do this. You can do this. I'm going to leave you some resources. I that can help you with this, maybe think about more things than what I've talked about here, but keep going. I'm really, really excited for you guys to continue this. I know it's going to be so incredibly transforming to you and your life once you get clear on this, and I just can't wait for you to get there. But we got more work to do. So stay with me, do your homework, and I'll see you again next time. 11. Challenge To Fulfillment: Hi, guys. It's Christie. Again, we are here to keep on going on our journey of figuring out what our reason for being is, what is our calling? What is the purpose in life? What's going to fulfill us and bring our life meaning. And so this is such a great opportunity, and I'm so excited to be here on this journey with you. So today, we're going to talk about missing pieces. And when I'm talking about what I'm talking about is, taking a look at what we've done up until this point and seeing if there are any missing pieces that we haven't quite got an answer for yet that we didn't quite work long enough at, that we didn't ask the right questions to ourselves in order to come up with an answer that will satisfy us. And so what we're going to look at today is what happens when part of this puzzle isn't fulfilled, isn't is missing. What happens when not all parts of the pieces are here. So it's really, really interesting because it makes such a huge difference when we can't put our finger on one of the pieces because it leaves us with a question mark. Rather than clarity, we have questions. And so we don't want to have questions. We're trying to get to answers. And so it takes asking ourselves questions to get to those answers. And so the thing that I want to do today is kind of walk you through the different pieces that you're going to find if one of them are missing, you're going to have a certain amount of fulfillment, but you're not going to have that complete fiment fulfillment and fruitfulness that you're looking for. So for example, if you were able to figure out what it is that you love, and you were able to figure out what it is that you're good at, and you were able to figure out what it is that you can be paid for but you were not able to figure out what the world needs. There was something blocking your ability to answer that question. And so, let's say that just was left blank and you didn't go back to it and think about it a little bit more, a little bit, you know, longer or harder. And so what happens is if that particular piece of those four things, if that particular piece is missing, what's going to happen is you're going to have you're going to have satisfaction from knowing what it is that you love and what you're good at and what you can be paid for. But you're going to have this feeling of uselessness because you don't know what the world needs. So that becomes a partially unfulfilled reason for being, you are partially unfulfilled in your purpose or your calling. And, you know, a lot of people in this life go through life with this missing piece. And yet, if you're able to find it and you're able to clarify that and get real clear on that. I will make a huge difference. And so what I'm going to have you do if you're still not clear on what the world needs, I'm going to have you go back to that particular worksheet and do some more brainstorming on what the world needs. I'm going to try and put a few more resources in here in case you need something more to jog your point of view or your thinking method whatever it is that has put a little block in there to give you more to think about. And again, what the world needs is a problem that you're solving for the world. It's something that only you can solve with your unique gifts and talents, and it is something potentially that was a problem for you in the past, and you've been able to resolve that problem. And now, you would maybe be able to teach others this, and so it becomes something that the world needs. Or maybe there is something that really makes you sad or makes you angry that you would really like to be part of a solution to that could be a change and bring impact to the world. That is something that you need to continue to ponder on, and I'll try again to leave some examples of that. But if you haven't been able to figure that out yet, you're going to go back and redo that and redo the brainstorming, redo the rating scale 1-5 with one being what you like the least and five being something that you absolutely love as far as what the world needs. And so going on to the next piece that may be missing for you is, let's say you figured out what you're good at you're pretty clear on that. You know pretty well what it is that you're skilled at. You know what you love. You know that you know that you know that this is what you love, what you long for, what you desire. And let's say you already know what the world needs. So now again, you have three of the four pieces of this puzzle that you're trying to figure out. But the one piece that you're missing is what you can be paid for. If this is a piece that you haven't quite gotten clarity on yet, what's going to happen is by having these other three pieces, you are going to be delighted and have sort of this fullness. You're going to feel kind of full. You know, but you're not going to have any wealth because you don't know what it is that you can be paid for. And so that is going to leave you partially unfulfilled. And that isn't an area that we want to leave blank because we all need to make a living and be able to buy our groceries and pay the bills and all of those things. So there is something that you can be paid for that is of value to other people. You know, it's maybe something you've given away for free in the past and just haven't dared quite yet to charge for it, or you may not think that you are enough to be able to charge for something or whatever seems to be blocking you, all of those things are false and that whatever it is that you have, you know, whether it's coaching or whether it is knitting or whether it is painting or whether it is fishing, whether it is whatever it is that you are really, really, really good at, you can be paid for. It's a value that you can serve the world with, and people will be willing to pay it. So if this piece of the puzzle is missing, you need to go back and you need to take a look at, you know, what can I be paid for? Brainstorm that again, and then bring that back to the rating scale if you have more than one thing and rate them 1-5 and whatever it is that ends up on the five side that you love the most is what is most important to you and is going to be that one thing that you can be paid for. So go ahead and redo that exercise. Um, and try and zero in on what it is that you can be paid for because we want you to be fulfilled, not partially unfulfilled. And so the next area or piece of puzzle that may be missing for you is you may already have figured out what you love. You know, that's pretty clear to you. You may have figured out what the world needs. That is also pretty clear what it is that you want to serve the world with, and maybe you know what it is that you can be paid for, but you're not necessarily clear on what you're good at. You know, what skills that you've developed over the years to bring you to this point, that might be higher education. I might you know, having learned things on your own some sort of a profession that you're skilled at. Maybe you haven't really quite put your finger on that yet. And if that is the case, what's going to happen if you do know what you love and what the world needs and what you can be paid for, you're going to have an excitement and also complacency. But there's going to be this sense of uncertainty because you don't know if you're really good at it or not. And so that needs that thought process. You need to ask yourself more questions. You need to rethink about that. You need to rebainstorm what it is that you're good at. And then once again, if you have more than one thing, throw that on the rating scale and then rate all the different things that you come up with 1-5 and whatever lands on the five side. Is more important to you than the others that don't land on that five rating scale. And so that becomes the one thing then that you're good at, and then you have solved that part of the puzzle. So we really want you to get to that one thing that you're good at and not leave that blank because that's going to be frustrating for you. So the next part of this is the other three things that you could have already figured out is maybe you did figure out what you're good at. That is a given. You know what that is. So that was easy, and you've got that down and you know what the answer is to that. And potentially, you know what you can be paid for. You've been able to answer that question. It came pretty naturally, pretty easy for you. You're pretty clear on that. And you also know what the world needs from you, the problem that it is that you can solve. And yet, you're not sure of or you're unclear about what it is that you love to do. You just haven't quite got really clear with yourself on what it is that you love to do. And so if you're not clear with that, then what ends up happening is you'll be comfortable if you know what you're good at and what you can be paid for and what the world needs. You'll be comfortable. But you're going to have this feeling of emptiness because you don't know what it is that you love. And it's really important to know that. It's really important to think about that and to come up with the answer for it because otherwise you're going to be partially unfulfilled, and missing that piece of the puzzle of what it is that you love is going to have a negative impact on your feeling of being fulfilled and having purpose and having that reason for being. So if that's the case, you're going to go back to the exercise of looking at what it is that you love to do. And if you come up and when you're brainstorming, if you come up with more than one answer, again, put that on the rating scale, rate them 1-5. And the one that lands with a rating scale of five is the one thing for you that's more important than the others, and it becomes the one thing that you love. And so this is the lesson that is very important to challenge you to get really clear and fulfill the remaining questions because as you can see, each piece of that missing puzzle is going to be somewhat hurtful or it's going to have a negative impact on you if you're not able to answer that question. So I'm going to go ahead and leave some more resources for you, hopefully, that can cause you a little bit more clarity in these areas. And I'm so excited that you're getting so close to what it is that is your reason for being, what you're called to do on this Earth, your purpose and meaning that's going to cause meaning and fulfillment in your life. And so once you get all of this down, you're going to find that this clarity is going to give you a backbone. It's going to give you focus, and it's going to give you even maybe some real hope towards your dreams and goals. So anyway, go back to the drawing board if you're still a little fuzzy, or even if maybe some of the questions that you answered previously are maybe still a little bit great. This is your chance now. To go back and really take another look at those and get really clear with them. So I am so excited that you are on this journey with me and that you are continuing to work on this and put time into it. And again, don't let those distractions get to you. Quiet yourself, maybe turn on some background music, maybe just put your hand on your heart right here and really come inside yourself because the answers are not out here somewhere. They are in here. They're right in here, and you know it. You know where they are. This is where you're going to find them. Not out here, not asking somebody else, not finding them on the TV, not finding them on the Internet. They are in here. And it's about getting to know yourself. Just a little bit better each day. So, I know you can do this. I'm cheering you on. We're going to end this race together. We're united in this. Together, we're going to keep on going. And so I look really forward to this next coming week. We're going to bring all of this stuff together, and you are going to be really excited to see where it brings you. So you committed earlier to take the time to do this, and I'm counting on you. I know that you are going to, and I'm going to see you with some answers next week. All right, take care and enjoy the process. 12. Validation and Celebration: Hi, guys. It's Christie. I'm just so thrilled to be here with you again. The fact that you've come this far, that you've done the homework, that you have invested this time in yourself, that all of these things are coming together to help you get clarity on who God intends you to be and how to live your life and have purpose and meaning and fulfillment. The clarity gives you such great wisdom and knowledge of the path forward. And so I'm just really proud of you and think that with this wisdom and knowledge and understanding that you've gained, it is going to be your way to look at the future and focus on the narrow path that is in front of you. And so let's just recap and validate everything that we've learned here so far. And hopefully you continued to do your homework and resolved any unclear sections that we'd already been through. And so what you should be looking at now is the bigger picture of all of the different areas of the questions that you've answered from what I love, what I'm good at what the world needs, what I can be paid for, what is my passion? What is my mission? What is my profession? What is my vocation? And what really and truly is my reason for being? I know this is not an easy challenge to go down, but it has certainly been worth it for me, and I hope that it's worth it for you. So just taking another look, by now, you should be able to say, from what it is that I love, you could say, I love Blank. You should now be able to put that one word in there, that one phrase in there, and it's something that you love doing. Remember, it's something you love doing. So I love this. The next part was, you know, what am I good at? And so you should be able to finish the sentence of I'm good at, you know, doing what. It could be one word. It could be a few words or a phrase. What I'm good at doing what? The next part ended up being what can I be paid for? And so the sentence ends up becoming, I can be paid to do what? You know, go ahead and finish that sentence. The next part was, what does the world need? The world needs me to do what? And then you answer that question. And then at the very heart and center of all of this, when you are able to answer these questions, questions becomes, what is your reason for being your purpose, your soul's calling. If what you love doing, is something you're good at doing and something that the world needs you to do and what you can be paid to do, then you have found your reason for being and, you know, I just want to congratulate you. This is so exciting. It's something that I would really like you to share. And I just want to share with you also here in a little bit what it is that I came up with when I went through this, and it has really resonated with me. And at first, I wasn't so sure. But the more I thought about it and the more I kept pondering it, the more the reality began to set in. And so Again, if what I love to do is something I'm good at doing and something the world needs and what I can be paid for, I found my reason for being. And this is your true life's purpose. This is my calling. It's a balance between what I can do and what I want to do. That's a value to the world. And isn't that really something? I know, for me, it really became a North Star, kind of my sweet spot. It's going to be able to fulfill the dreams that I have because now I can start working towards all of those things that I've been able to uncover that makes sense for me in a bigger aspect, and realizing that all of my experiences aren't and haven't been a waste of time up until this point, but really have been stepping stones to help me to gain clarity on where I am now. It's taken me a long time to get here. I wish I had discovered this and maybe done it earlier on in life, but, you know, I really don't know if I was ready for it yet because I hadn't had enough experience with doing other things that allowed me to get a clear focus. And so yeah, our reason for being is really a life of realization of what one expects and one hopes for. You know, that really reminds me of the word faith. And the word faith being is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see. And isn't that really it? Having the faith that you are on the right path, that you're headed in the right direction. You might not be able to see but you're hoping that you're going in the right direction. And so this convergence of these four elements of what you love and what the world needs, what you're good at, and what you can be paid for in the middle of these four primary elements is seeing the source of value or what makes one's life truly worthwhile and your reason for being. And so we're just going to celebrate that a little bit today because on the outside of the center of this reason for being are all of the things that we are doing, doing what we love, doing what we're good at, doing what the world needs, doing what we're paid for. And then in the center of all of that, is what we are being, who we are made to be, and so that's why we have to look inside of ourselves for a lot of these answers. So if there was ever a time on our planet where a sense of true purpose was needed, or required or desperately called for. Now really is the time for that. It's time for us to get clear. This is how we can discover why we are here and what we are really supposed to be doing. It shows us a reason to live or more specifically, you know, a reason to get up in the morning. Prior to me finding this, there were a lot of days I wanted to throw the alarm clock against the wall and put my head back underneath the covers and just not get out of bed. But once I discovered this and I started working towards it, I really want to get up in the morning. I want to get going, and I feel fulfilled and fruitful. So your reason for being combines the joy from doing something and a sense of purpose, meaning, and well being. It's feeling that your life is really valuable and that you have an impact on different people. And it's not linked to your status in society or the money that you can earn because remember, I had said that this is something that is born with you and you will take throughout your life and even to the grave. And so that is why it's so important for us to have a clear understanding of what this is so that we can continue to be fulfilled and fruitful and have an impact serving others our whole life long. And it can even be the little things in life that can and enjoying little things in life that can bring us great rewards and joy. And Everyone's reason for being is unique. It's based on your personal history, your values, your beliefs, and even your personality. And it's a personal journey that may take time. I, you know, if you are committed to making a change in your life, I assure you you're going to get there. And now that you know this, you can start making some plans or even putting some goals on a calendar that might give you more time to fulfill what it is that you want to in this lifetime. It is the most honorable and rewarding thing that you can do. It's the key to a purposeful and fulfilling life. You know, it's not a grandiose, motivational framework or anything like that, but it's a life philosophy involving different daily rituals and appreciating the small joys in life and living out your values and building intimate relationships, fulfilling your life roles and pursuing a life goal with a healthy sense of urgency, but doing it in a way that is therapy and that feels slow to you. You know, there's a place over in Japan, and it's called OgamOkinawa, and there were 100 centurions and super centurions interviewed that live really long lives over 100-years-old, and their culture naturally does this exact exercise, and it's called Ikigai over there. And so what they do is try to understand their life philosophy and longevity secrets. And so the people who live this out developed ten rules to living a fulfilling life. And I just wanted to share those with you because they're so simple yet so profound. And I think in the business of life and chaos, we have a tendency to be rushing by things that are so, really, very valuable and important, and we need to learn how to utilize this resource of time that God has given us to not book it so full, but, you know, to be able to sit back and realize what our reason for being is and then take step towards it. And so here are the ten rules for living a fulfilling life. Number one is stay active and don't retire. So over here in a western world, we are the ones that develop this idea of retiring. But over in Japan, they develop their Ikigai or their philosophy in life, and they really work that out to be part of their whole life's journey. And so I thought that was really neat and that if we're really doing what we love and what we're good at, what the world needs and what we can be paid for, it's something that we can enjoy and endure our whole lifelong. And I think that's a really great goal for us to have and to be able to live a healthier, well balanced and well being life. And so number two is just to take it slow. You know, you can be busy, but you can take it slow. Both of those things can exist at the same time if you're enjoying it. Number three is don't fill your stomach. There's something to be said about energy and not filling your stomach that gives you energy. And so we have such a tendency to focus on unhealthy ways of eating and stuffing ourselves here that I thought that was a really good rule of thumb. Don't fill your stomach. Surround yourself with good friends. Is number four. Number five, get in shape for your next birthday. So I just had my birthday here. And so now I need to get in shape for my next birthday. Not just let myself go, but to actually continue my activity and get in shape for my next birthday. Number six is to smile. I know, for me, that has been one of my purposes and maybe not purposes, but even just, doing it on purpose, smiling on purpose has made a difference in my life, and so I really appreciate that that's rule number six. Number seven is to reconnect with nature, you know, nature is something that is so powerful and so beautiful and so natural and so symmetrical and so lifegiving. And I think a lot of the times with the technology that we have now, we forget to go out and get back in nature. And so that number seven is to reconnect with nature. Number eight is to give thanks, and that is a huge part of being able to stay present and grounded in the moment is just to be able to give thanks and live in the present moment. You know, so much of us have our head in the past or even out in the future, but we even forget to take in what it is that we're doing right here and right now in this very moment. And that's a way that we can slow down, and I think that's really a great rule of thumb. And number ten is just, again, to follow your purpose, to follow your reason for being to take steps towards that that we just learned about and continue to validate that over the period period of time. So when you know what you love, you have a feeling of joy. And you can tell a story of what it feels like to know that feeling. And when you know what you're good at, you have a feeling of confidence. And so when you know that you're good at something, like I know I'm good at watercolor painting, and I have this confidence that I've been given those skills to be able to serve the world with. And so last Sunday I spent some time at an old mill near me here, and I just took the whole entire day and painted outside. And it was so refreshing and fulfilling and spent time doing that, and it felt good. And it just because it I'm confident in doing it. It just continues to bring me more confidence every time I do it. And so it's a really neat thing to pursue once you know what it is and actually take the time to do it. When you know what you can be paid for, you have a feeling of value. So many of us will give what's really valuable to other people away, and then they don't get to experience or share with us that exchange of money for value. And sometimes we are not giving the gift of value to somebody else if they don't have to pay for it. Think about that as you go forward that your gifts are of value. They're intended to be used in the world, and you are worth that to other people. So don't take that gift of giving away from them. And when you know what the world needs and how you can serve, you have a feeling of contribution. And it's so important to be able to feel like you're contributing to something in the world and making a difference. And so I just want to congratulate each and every one of you. I'm so proud of you. You've done it. You've come a long way. And, you know, continue to think about this, continue to go forward, continue to refine it, continue to zero in on it. You know, there's so much stress in the world, and many people seem a lot older than they are because stress causes premature aging and has shown that stress has a lot to do with it. And so you know, we just need to be able to take care of ourselves and not do things that are stressful towards us, but instead try and do things that bring us joy, not to do things that we're told to do or what others do or rather what they want us to do. Instead, to try and fill that gap of what's expected from us and, of course, where we want to be, we really need to be able to be true to ourselves. So those who give up the things they love doing and do well lose their purpose in life, and that's why it's so important to keep doing things of value and making progress and bringing beauty or even utility to others, helping out and shaping the world around you even after your official professional activity has ended. So again, congratulations. This day is worth celebrating. I'd really love to see a copy of your final diagram. I know I told you I was going to share with you what I came up with. And so what that is what I love doing is, I love doing art. A lot of different creative processes, but you know, painting. I've given a lot of that away. I know that I'm good at communicating and I'm also good at art, but these things are things that I know that I'm good at and that I have a skill for. I know I can be paid to teach and to coach. And I know that the world needs me to help other artists understand their value. And so with all of these things combined, the other thing that I love is I love being a Christian, and I believe that I am here and created on purpose for a purpose. And so what my reason for being is I am a coach, a teacher, or even a business consultant for Christian artists and entrepreneurs, and finding being able to teach this class and being able to bring you closer to understand your reason for being Um, hopefully we'll give you more insight into what God created you to do and who God created you to be and for you to take a look at that wonderful gift that was placed inside your heart before you were even born. And just to take that and open up the lid and just let that flow. Just let it start flowing. And so it will be and you will attract people, and you will attract opportunities. You will attract resources, and the world around you is going to come to you so that you don't have to go out and sell yourself, but people will be attracted to you because you're using your natural gifts and talents in the world that God placed inside you to serve the world with what it is that you're here to do. God bless you and thank you for just being here and for taking this time with me, it's been so fun. Please get in contact with me if you've got questions about this process or other things that I can help you with, and stay tuned because I've got a lot more things up my sleeve that we're going to continue learning. So take care. I'm proud of you. You are worth it. I see you. I hear you. You have a huge impact to make on the world. I love you. Take care, and we will meet again soon.