After losing someone or something important, many questions may pop up for you. They may sound like this: Who am I now that my life has changed? Where do I go from here? How do I find purpose in life again?

There is a lot of soul-searching involved in answering any one of these questions, and typically it takes putting a bit of distance between you and the event that changed your life so profoundly. Did you lose a loved one? Was the career you put your heart and soul into ripped out from under you unexpectedly? Have you been struggling with a health diagnosis that caused you to reevaluate everything?

It takes time to grieve losses like these and see all the pieces of your life as they are now, rather than how they used to be.  You may feel shattered as if every part of your existence is laying on the floor scattered, and the pieces don’t fit together again. The fact is most people struggle to answer those same questions at a time like this.  Deciding how to find purpose in life again is something you get to choose to do when the time feels right.

Show Compassion

The first and most important aspect of finding purpose in life is to get in touch with your self-compassion.  That means, be kind and gentle with yourself whenever it feels hard to do what you want to do.

Because the road to finding life purpose takes you up hills and into valleys, around bends and past blind driveways.  Consequently, you must be compassionate, so you don’t drive yourself into a ditch.

Look Into the Mirror

The next part of how to find purpose in life is about self-reflection.  This takes the courage and willingness to dig deep and discover who you are now that things have changed.

Many of your qualities and characteristics may be the same as before. However, they may feel a bit tarnished or wobbly.  For instance, you may have been greatly confident before, and now you are not so sure of yourself.  Or, you may have demonstrated clear and concise decision-making, and now you can’t make a choice to save your life.

Rebuild Your Foundation

Another important element in finding life purpose again (or perhaps for the first time), is to become firmly grounded in what is most important to you now.

Especially after a major life event that causes you deep grief and changes your life profoundly, it is the best time to re-evaluate what you care about.  What is integral to who you are at the core?  Your values.

Spend some time thinking about what makes you tick, what brings you peace. When you have made a list of all those values you want to live by, pick the top five.  These core values will become your guiding light because, when you bump every choice against this shortlist, you will make sound and fulfilling decisions.

Engage Your Imagination & Capture Your Vision

The next thing that will help you crystallize your purpose is to write it down.  I mean, capture all the glorious details of every aspect of your vision to live with purpose.  Describe who you are as you show up in this vision.  Then, who you are with, what you are doing, how this feels to you, how you are helping others.

Versuasion Pakistan – Fareeha Robert