

This post is part of a series by Shannon Kaiser called Live Your Life — a primer on finding your passion and living with purpose. Each day this week, we'll post one article offering the foundational elements you need to go deeper in the search for your life's true meaning. When you're ready to take the next step, check out Shannon's course: Get Unstuck: How To Find Your Calling & Live A Life With More Meaning.
One of the most common questions I get asked as a life coach is, "How do I find my purpose?" Many of us are so used to going through the motions of life that we forget it's even an option.
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A better question to ask yourself might be, "What is important to me? What do I care about?"
I spent years feeling lifeless, lacking true passion or purpose, and realized a big part of the issue was the questions I was asking (and not asking) myself.
I often said things like, “Why me? Why don’t I know my purpose?” These questions kept me in a cycle of hopelessness. The questions we ask can be more important than the answers to those questions.
Asking stronger questions became a key part of finding my life purpose. These questions became pivotal in my healing process. Flash-forward to today: My life looks radically different, and I am living my dream life full of passion and purpose.
To this day, I align myself with powerful questions every morning. Only by asking different questions can you get different results.
If you're eager to find your own passion and purpose, ask yourself these questions:
1. What did I love to do as a child?
2. When do I feel like my best self?
3. Where do I feel the happiest?
4. Who brings me joy and makes me feel loved and supported?
5. What do I value most in other people and myself?
6. When do I feel most joyful?
7. What inspiration, idea, or vision keeps coming to me?
8. When do I lose track of all time because I am so in tune with the task at hand?
9. Who inspires me with their passion and purpose?
10. What do I want to be known for?
11. If I could do anything in the world without worrying about time, money, or energy restrictions, what would I do?
12. When do I feel the most peace?
13. If I knew I was going to die in one year, what would I do, and how would I want to be remembered?
14. When do I feel the most authentic? What am I doing? Who am I with?
15. What message does my future self have for me?
16. Where does my mind drift when I daydream?
17. How do I want to feel?
18. What’s not working in my life?
19. When am I the most happy and free?
20. What do I do most naturally, with effortless ease?
21. What do I currently need in my life that I am not getting?
Related reads:
- 20 Wellness Books Worth Reading In 2016
- A 10-Song Playlist To Amp Up Your Mood & Motivation RIGHT Now
- The Complete Zodiac Guide To 2016: What's In The Stars For You?
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Shannon Kaiser is the best-selling author of 5 books on the psychology of happiness and fulfillment including The Self-Love Experiment and Adventures for Your Soul, Joy Seeker, and Unshakable Inner Peace Oracle card deck, and the forthcoming book Return to You. She has a B.A. in journalism and communications from the University of Oregon. As an international life coach, speaker, and retreat leader, she helps people awaken and align with their true selves so they can live their highest potential.
She's been named top 100 Women to Watch in wellness by mindbodygreen, alongside Cameron Diaz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kris Carr and Gabriel Bernstein, and was listed as of the freshest voices in mental health and wellness by Chicken Soup for The Women's Soul. She's been named one of Entrepreneurs Must-Follow Instagram Accounts for Inspiration and Top Facebook Accounts for Daily Motivation by Mind Body Green.
Her website Playwiththeworld.com has been names top 75 Personal development websites and top 100 self-help websites by the institute for the Psychology of Eating. She's an international life coach and author mentor, and a full time world traveler with a home base in Portland, Oregon with her best friend, her Golden Retriever Chance, who she flew to China to Rescue.