As women in midlife, we often find ourselves searching for purpose and meaning. We may have accomplished a long list of incredible things in our lives, but we still have a desire to discover our true calling and unlock our full potential. So often, we feel unfulfilled and uninspired by our day-to-day routines.
Now to be clear, your purpose in life is a personal thing. Your “why” is going to be different from everyone else’s. It’s unique to you alone, because we are all unique creatures with wildly different desires, passions, and perspectives.
Which kind of makes sense when you think about it. How can someone else’s “north star” ever be identical to yours?
It just doesn’t work this way.
Your “why”, or your purpose, has likely been called by other names:
Calling
Sometimes people consider their purpose in life to be something they were born to do. This could be a religious feeling, but it doesn’t have to be. Some call it a knowing, where it feels natural to move in this direction over every other option.
Belief
Have you ever just ‘known’ something was right by how it felt? Generally, when you think about it, your purpose is, in reality, a very strong conviction where you’ve never been more sure in your life about where you were going.
Mission Statement
Sometimes, people summarize what they’re working for along with their reasons why this goal is important, creating a true mission statement.
Vision
Can your purpose be something you’ve never even seen or experienced? Of course! Our dreams can create very powerful motivation, making them a guiding force that is well-grounded in hope.
No matter what you call it, once you define it, your purpose will very quickly become the reason you get up in the morning. It will become the benchmark you use to measure progress toward your goals. It forms the values you use when you have hard decisions to make. It tells you exactly who you are inside and sets your feet into motion as you strive to create your best version of yourself.
Clarify Your Passion and Purpose
One way to gain clarity about our true passions and purpose is by tapping into the intuitive power of the wise woman archetype. This recognizable icon in our collective human experience teaches us how to access our inner wisdom, connect with the power of the world around us, and claim our rightful place in the world. She is a powerful tool that can help us to take charge of our lives and live out loud! So let’s take a step into this archetypal energy and explore the possibilities.
Who is Your Inner Wise Woman?
The wise woman archetype represents the feminine energy of wisdom, intuition, and experience. She is the embodiment of the elder who has lived a life full of lessons and is now able to offer guidance and support to those who seek it. By connecting with this archetype, we can tap into our own inner wisdom and find our personal “north star”.
She helps us remember that it is within our power to listen to our intuition, trust ourselves, and make decisions that are right for us. And she encourages us to explore our own passions and potential and to discover the unique gifts that we can bring to this world.
How Do I Put This Into Practice?
1. Embrace Life Experience
To embody the wise woman archetype, we must first embrace our life experience and the wisdom that comes with it. Take some time to reflect on your journey, the lessons you’ve learned, and the growth you’ve experienced. Use this wisdom to guide you towards your true purpose and passions.
Wisdom Exercise:
Set aside some quiet time to reflect on your life journey. Grab a journal and write down the major milestones, experiences, and lessons you’ve learned along the way. What wisdom have you gained from these experiences? What patterns do you notice?
2. Practice Listening to Your Intuition
Another way to tap into the wise woman archetype is to practice listening to your intuition. As women, we have a natural intuition that can guide us towards our true purpose and passions. So, practice listening to that inner voice and allow it to guide you in your journey of self-discovery.
Listening Exercise:
Take a few minutes each day to sit in quiet meditation. Focus on your breath and allow your thoughts to settle. When you feel calm and centered, ask yourself the question: “What is my true purpose?” Pay attention to any thoughts or feelings that come up. Write down your insights in your journal.
3. Know & Trust Yourself
The wise woman archetype also encourages us to embrace our inner knowing and trust in ourselves. Trust that you have the knowledge and experience to make decisions that are right for you. You are the expert on your own life, and the wise woman archetype reminds us to trust in our own inner guidance.
Know & Trust Exercise:
Take a look at the decisions you’ve made in the past. Which ones felt most aligned with your true self? Which ones did you make based on external expectations or pressure? Reflect on how you can trust your own inner guidance more in the future. Write down a few affirmations to remind yourself of your inner wisdom.
Getting to the Good Part!
But how do we use this wisdom to find our purpose and passions in midlife?
Passions
It starts by connecting with our inner voice and exploring our passions. Here are the steps that I recommend you take:
- Reflect on your life experiences
Identify what truly excites you. What are the things that make you feel most alive? What do you wish you could spend more time doing? If you’re really not sure, consider checking your browsing history — it’s a great way to tell where your passions are. - Find your big thing
Look closely at that list of passions to see what it is that most fires you up. What do you love doing? What you talk about for hours? What inspires you? Your Big Thing is right in front of you, all you have to do is claim it! - Identify your superpower
Everyone has something they do where they excel. Write down all the things you’re good at, pick out the top one or two that stand out, the ones that you can offer right now. Instead of feeling helpless, recognize that you have a unique combination of experience and skill to offer the world. No one else in the history of the world can offer what you offer right now. - Putting Our Passions to Work
Whatever your life purpose is, we all usually want to have a positive impact on the world around us, right? Think about who you want to help. Do you relate to children, or seniors or single moms? Are your superpower skills useful for fundraising or writing submissions? Are you more comfortable as a hands-on career or assistant? Find an organization that could do with a helping hand, whether it’s pro bono work or hands-on volunteering.
Purpose
- Bring it all together
Once you’ve identified your big thing, unique superpowers, and how you want to serve your community, you can connect the dots. What are the common themes? You might be passionate about human rights, be an excellent public speaker and choose to work pro bono as an advocate for your local Amnesty branch. Or you may offer free haircuts or styling to homeless people or the unemployed. Figure out where these three areas overlap or intersect, and you’ve truly outlined your purpose. - Pursue Alignment
Now that you have some clarity, you can begin to look for opportunities to align your life purpose with tangible action. Look at where you might be putting energy that doesn’t work in alignment with your vision and passion. The more you can align yourself with your purpose, the more fulfilled your life is going to feel day-to-day.
Staying in Alignment
Another key to unlocking your true potential and passion in midlife is to surround yourself with a supportive community. Connect with like-minded women who share your passions and goals. Find mentors or coaches who can offer guidance and support as you navigate your journey. Having a supportive community can help you stay motivated and inspired.
The Joy is in the Journey
Lastly, remember that finding your purpose and passions in midlife is an ongoing journey. It’s important to stay open and curious, and to continue exploring and learning. Embrace the changes and transitions that come with midlife and view them as opportunities for growth and transformation. There are no absolute right and wrong answers, and identifying your purpose does not need to mean that you can’t ever change it. As you continue to explore and pursue what brings passion, joy, and meaning into your life, you will create and curate the life that is perfect for you.
Conclusion
I can’t express enough how powerful connecting with your inner wise woman can be for discovering your purpose and passions in midlife. Embrace all your incredible life experience and hard-earned inner wisdom, listen to your brilliant intuition, and trust in yourself. Surround yourself with a supportive community and stay open to learning and growth. With these practices, I promise that you can unlock your full potential and live an OUTRAGEOUS life filled with passion and purpose!
[…] If we can learn to recognize and challenge these stories, we can begin to shift towards a growth mindset. We can start to see failure as a learning experience, and effort as a way to improve and develop our talents and abilities. We can begin to tame our destructive fire and fear, and instead wield our personal power in a way that serves us and allows us to pursue our passions and purpose. […]