How to find your soul purpose

Do you know your soul purpose? Vicky Paul, intuitive artist and author, shares her thoughts and actions we can take to understand ourselves better

When you Google ‘how to find purpose and meaning’ over 16 billion results come up. That’s huge, and a very clear indication there are a lot of unsatisfied people walking about. Perhaps this is not so surprising given the last 18 months; the pandemic and enforced lockdowns have certainly brought the way we live our lives, and the choices we make, into sharp focus.

The truth is, humans have been searching for purpose and meaning since the beginning of consciousness. That search may have started off as a basic need to survive, however, as ever-expanding conscious beings, our search has evolved into something much more. We now need reasons for the choices we make, the challenges we face, the jobs we do and why are we here on this planet at this time.

I’m sure you will resonate with at least one of these statements, otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this article:

• Most of us at some point in our lives have felt lost, alone, dissatisfied, stuck in a rut or trapped by work/life pressures.
• We have felt a deep and often inexplicable sense that there is something more than the physical (and commercial) world we live in.
• Life has thrown us a few curve balls: broken hearts, ill health, loss, fear etc. We have tried to avoid the associated pain by not thinking about it, replacing undesirable thoughts with daydreams or positive affirmations, or substituting our unwanted emotions with food, drink, shopping etc.
• We follow society's version of who we should be and how we should live.
• We dim our light, or hide our true self, to fit in and feel accepted.

All these experiences are the Universe’s way of nudging us back on course, grabbing our attention, and in some cases, stopping us abruptly in our tracks. They are signs that we are sending our attention, or energy, outward rather than inward.

What is our soul purpose?

When we spend too much time in our minds and bodies, we forget to nurture our soul. As multi-dimensional (mind, body, soul and spirit) we must honour our energetic ethereal body and give it the due care and attention it deserves. When we do, we naturally align with our higher intelligence, our Ātman, the true self inside ourselves.

This is our soul purpose, it is why we are here. It’s the mission we gave ourselves as a soul for this life on earth. We are here to remember who we are, and share that with the world. The reason we can’t find our soul purpose is that we are not spending enough time with our soul self. We are too much in our mind and body.

Our soul purpose is firstly to remember the truth of who we are, and then share that with the world... It can be as simple as smiling at a passer-by in the street, or as grand as trying to save the world.

I’ll let you into a secret. We came here already knowing who we are and why we are in this life at this time. Call it a blueprint for your life. We know this when we are very young, however, our parents, peers and society distract us from this knowing and we become disconnected from our higher self as we grow up and engage with the physical world around us.

Some people know their soul purpose early on in life, while others wake up to their calling after a life-changing or traumatic event. What I know to be true, is that there are clues scattered throughout all of our life experiences, and it is not until we send our focus inward, rather than outward, that the clues reveal themselves to us.

Our soul purpose is firstly to remember the truth of who we are, and then share that with the world. It is a feeling, rather than a physical thing. It is why we do something, rather than what we do. It can be as simple as smiling at a passer-by in the street, or as grand as trying to save the world. However we express our soul purpose, it is an energetic exchange of giving and receiving that makes us feel a certain way.

6 suggestions to identify and reconnect with your soul purpose

We live in a world that does not teach us how to understand our inner world; our feelings, intuitive insights, connecting with an intelligent Universe or how to listen to our soul’s whispers. To help, here are some suggestions that will help you remember your soul purpose:

Recognise and accept the messages the Universe sends your way

Accept the symptoms in your life that are soul messages, and rather than blame someone or something for the challenges you’re facing, accept that these experiences are happening to you, by you, for you. This can be a tricky mindset shift, however, it will re-empower you rather than give your power away.

If your life feels out of control, rather than hang on for dear life, let go

Trust is one of the most powerful ways to access your soul’s gifts. It can be a bumpy ride, and a lifelong journey, however, accepting that our soul, rather than our ego, knows best is a one-way ticket to soul purpose activation.

Practise self-awareness

Learn why you feel and behave the way you do. Take the time to explore painful memories, forgive yourself and others and release the energy with love. Greater self-awareness invites in the energies of possibility and potential.

Pay attention to what expands your energy and what constricts it

Are you coming from a place of fear/constriction or a place of love/expansion? The former can be felt in our work, relationships and self-expression, and shows up as withdrawal, depression or negative thoughts. The latter helps us move through challenges or discomfort with grace, opening to the lessons we are being shown.

Start talking, wait and listen for the answers

Start talking to yourself, your guides, source, angels, God, whatever resonates with you. Take the time and clear the space to listen. And be patient if the answer doesn’t come immediately.

Use Universal energy to reconnect with and ground your own energy

Place your right hand (it is the hand that receives) over your heart, take a few slow deep breaths, and send your awareness to your chest. Feel into it. Is there heat or pressure? Where does it radiate too? Explore the sensations that arise physically and emotionally for you.

There are infinite ways to express your soul purpose, so start asking yourself why you do what you do, instead of what you should be doing. Change the way you enquire about your soul purpose or your soul calling and replace ‘what’ with ‘why’ and ‘how’. Rather than asking “what is my soul purpose?” ask “how can I serve humanity?”

Our soul purpose is as unique and special as we are. No one else shares our soul purpose, and we all benefit greatly from each other’s purpose. When we embrace the truth of who we are, our soul purpose elevates humanity, expands ourselves and the collective consciousness.

Vicky Paul is an intuitive artist and author who creates energy paintings that speak to your soul and activate your passion, purpose and potential.

Her book How to be SuccesSoul® is a guide to reconnecting with your soul, and her podcast, How to be SuccesSoul is a straight-talking, heartfelt and enlightening show full of soul centred wisdom, life-changing insights and free-flowing conversations with some of the most inspiring, knowledgeable and honest voices in wellbeing, spirituality, self-love and personal development.

You can find out more on Vicky’s website, www.vickypaul.com or on Instagram.