purpose in the mundane 🥱

Hello dear reader/listener,

How do you feel about the word ‘purpose’?

Does it feel grand, out of reach, meant for a select few, or do you think it’s something available to everyone, not just a handful of lucky ones? Do you feel you’re living with purpose, or is it an elusive concept that you just can’t get a handle on?

I love the word. Living with purpose is something I feel so passionately about that I’ve made it a front-and-centre priority in my own life, and it’s central to how I help others in the work that I do.

I was doing a bit of research for the podcast this week, and I came across two words that I think help us to understand the concept of purpose. They’re Greek words, and not ones that I use regularly, but I think they give us a good hint about how we recognise purpose in our lives and provide a yardstick by which to measure our sense of purpose. I talk about these in more detail on the podcast, but here’s a brief overview of the words and their meanings.

Euthymia - Euthymia is a psychological term that describes a state of being where an individual experiences a balanced and stable mood, characterised by feelings of calmness, contentment, and emotional well-being. Seneca adds to this definition, defining euthymia as “believing in yourself and trusting you are on the right path, and not being in doubt by following the myriad footpaths of those wandering in every direction.” A sense of purpose in our everyday lives is this simple idea (if we can take Seneca’s philosophising and make it a bit more down-to-earth) that we are on the right track. I like this idea—not that we have arrived, or have it all in hand or sorted, having reached Destination Purpose, but instead that we are on the right path, the path meant for us to walk. We’re not looking to the left or the right, at what others are doing or accomplishing and being dissuaded by that, but staying firm on the path in front of us. The good thing about this definition is that we only need to know the next steps. We put one foot in front of the other and keep going on the path.

Eudaimonia - You may have heard of this one already. It’s another grand topic that I will attempt to make useful for you and me. It’s an ancient Greek term that translates to "good spirit" or "flourishing" and is often associated with the concept of living a fulfilled and meaningful life. Unlike happiness, which can be fleeting and tied to temporary emotions, eudaimonia refers to a deeper, more enduring state of well-being and contentment that arises from living in accordance with one's own true nature and values. It endures through the ins and outs and ups and downs of our lives. It’s a big clue to our purpose because it involves listening to our values and our talents. Who am I? What do I bring? What matters most to me? How do I contribute? What do I do best? Again, we don’t arrive at this state. We gain a clearer and deeper understanding over time.

How do you feel you’re doing with these concepts?

Do you feel like you’re on the right path, heading in a direction that feels good for your soul?

Do you know what you bring and how you contribute? Are you getting to do that?

Do you know your values? Is the way you’re living in line with them?

In this week’s episode of You’re Better Than That, we dig into living a meaningful life. You can take a listen (or watch)

Now, if you’re reading this and you’re pretty sure that you’re not on the right path, or you don’t know who you are, what you do best, and what really matters to you, I’d love to help.

My brand new coaching course, The Purpose Pursuit, is designed with you in mind.

A 6-week digital coaching programme.

We wrapped up filming the latest edition last week and it's all  shaping up to be a very special course. This is for you if you're a woman at life's crossroads. You're either going through a change or something has GOT to change and you need the support and guidance to get through it and come out the other side a more confident you. 

Want to know more? Simply sign up for the waitlist to be the first to hear all the details (and to get a special offer you won’t want to miss)

Come and join us, we’d love to have you!

Here’s my usual quote/stat/question to leave you with something to ponder.

1 quote: “Find out who you are and do it on purpose” ― Dolly Parton

1 stat: In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), it was found that people with a higher sense of purpose had a 15% lower risk of death over 14 years compared to those with lower levels of purpose.

1 question: What do you already know about what you were made to do?

Love,

Hannah x

P.S. If you know someone who needs this, please forward the email to them xx