Understanding our purpose and understanding why we perform so well compared to our friends, colleagues and competitors is top most in our minds. This is especially the case if we are disruptive innovators, visionary and serial entrepreneurs and innovative leaders and, especially in January!

And understanding why we perform so well also leads us to having a life where we are fulfilled in every way.

One of the reasons we can understand this ability we have, is to take a trip down memory lane. We will soon remember each time we performed well, that was the time we got that attention we craved from our parents or teachers. 

Another reason is that performing well currently leads us to be recognised by the leaders in our community, team, organisation, country or our industry.

We LOVE that recognition

But do we know that your ability to perform well under the most stressful of situations, during adversity is not actually COMMON.

We actually have a SUPERPOWER.

I bet most of us just took this SUPERPOWER for granted.

I have found in my experience  most BREAK under that amount of pressure.

MOST BUT NOT US

And one of the other reasons we perform so well is due to  the fact that we are very RESILIENT.

That resilience comes from WITHIN.

There though is a limit to that resilience isn’t there?

It is not limitless.

Because we are human.

NOT GOD!

And one of the reasons for our performance  being so EXTRAORDINARY even in the most stressful of situations is because we have not achieved all that you have achieved on your own.

Even if we are  Solopreneurs, we know that we are successful because we stood on the shoulders of giants and learnt from the best to achieve what we have achieved up till now.

And now I am going to stop talking in terms of we and us but I am going to talk to you who is reading this right now.

With all that you have achieved in your life so far, the hundreds of accomplishments, with what you do in your life every day to earn a salary or business revenue, does that STILL LIGHT you up?

Because if you have become BORED of what you are so good at doing, what you are successful at, then it is TIME to re-evaluate who you are and your PURPOSE.

I did that five years ago when at the age of 47, I started asking a dangerous question which was in the form of a prayer. “Oh God give me a purposeful life!” This prayer came from a question, i had for many years which was does God really want me to be a social worker? Does God want more for me, from me?

I used to think that one only has one purpose in life but I know understand one can be multi purposed and multi passionate. We have many dreams and passions and purposes.

I used to seek what is my purpose? 

I have discovered by seeking my purpose that purpose is ever EVOLVING and who we are is ever EVOLVING.

Our identity is not static but dynamic and flowing.

When clients work with me, they embark on what I refer to as THE IDENTITY ALCHEMY JOURNEY. And we explore together who you are and your relationship with yourself and God and with your loved ones, your pets and your favourite plants and the animals and plants you do not like and the humans you don’t like. We explore together your relationship with the fire, earth, air and water within you and around you. 

This journey is part of THE SPIRITUAL ALCHEMY QUEST.

Now in the olden days, most human beings used to have some point in their lives to embark on such a quest and explore these relationships. Modern living does not usually give us the space and time to explore in such a detailed way. Our work-life balance is usually so heavy and full, we don’t know how to make time for this and yes there is that RESISTANCE to explore these relationships especially when we have been hurt or taken advantage of.

Now it is January perhaps it is TIME to explore your relationship with God. Perhaps it is time you explore your relationship with yourself. I know it is not EASY because you have spent a lifetime running away from yourself or God or both. Or your relationship is a difficult one where you spend a lot of time arguing and struggling with yourself or God or both. I noknow you may come from a family or community where it is not encouraged to argue with God.

I don’t know if you are familiar with the story of Jacob. He is featured in the Bible and the Quran. He actually wrestled with God in the Biblical Story. Muslims refer to Jacob as Yaqoob. 

In case you didn’t know Online, I am known as The Muslim Alchemist.

Being Muslim I use Biblical and Quranic stories to help you explore the relationships with yourself and with God and with the elements within you and around you and with your fellow human beings and living beings. Did you know that these stories are not just ones that happened a long time ago but stories that are HAPPENING NOW  to us, around us and within us. When I work with clients I use these Biblical and Quranic stories to facilitate an understanding within you what is your purpose in your life or business or both. Our minds can relate to stories easily more than facts or figures. Our minds REMEMBER EASILY stories.

Stories are very HEALING too.

Like the story of Joseph in the Bible and the Qur’an.

Now many of us know the story but what about if we approached the story and imagined if we are Joseph and actually reflected on how he must have felt so angry at himself when his brothers put him in that well.

I think Joseph must have chided himself for being so boastful that he told the dream to his brothers that he saw the moon and sun and eleven stars bowing to him.

I think Joseph must have chided God and chided his brothers.

We know the well was dry but the Bible or the Qur’an do not say how long he was in the well.

How many days he spent in the well.

So I want you to do an exercise imagine you are Joseph in the well and think about your relationship with God during this experience and your relationship with yourself and the relationship with the animals and insects inside the well and the plants around the well or inside the well.

I want you to imagine you are speaking to God, your mother, your father and your brothers.

I want you to go through the range of feelings you may have inside the well.

The vast spectrum and I want you to dwell on this one thought. Joseph did not know his purpose when he was in the well. But the traumatic experience must have shaped his character made him tougher and resilient.

Forced him to rely on his inner resources.

I also want you to reflect on this important point it was his crying out to passers by that got him out of the well. He preserved his energy to cry out. The point is he cried out for help.

I sometimes wonder if we as innovative leaders seek help or cry out for help.

I know I have when I have been bored and unfulfilled in my life.

There is nothing like boredom.

I also know this I would rather be trying different things and discovering my purpose rather than remain bored in a job I don’t find challenging or a business I find unfulfilling.

Wouldn’t you?