Do you wake up every day with a sense of purpose?

I know I often don’t. I open my eyes in the morning more with of a sense that I will soon be dragged around by my “to do” list. First on my mind is my agenda for the day and all the stuff I need to DO. Or I go to my computer to let my inbox tell me what to do. Sound familiar?

Living this way is one sign that I am not in touch with my purpose. And I don’t mean the BIG significant purpose that most of us think of when we think of “life purpose.” While some people might know what that is for themselves, most of us aren’t sure, or are afraid of not getting it “right.” Maybe we’re putting too much pressure on ourselves.

Purpose is in the moment.

Last week I went on a leadership retreat with the Wright Foundation for the Realization of Human Potential where the theme was “Purpose.” What I learned is that purposeful living is about living every moment with a purpose in that moment. It could be something as simple as giving our gifts or living with aliveness and presence, in service of ourselves and others. Purpose is who we are being, not what we are doing. What a concept. We can actually try on different purposes each day to see which one motivates us to lead a more fulfilled life.

One of the moment by moment purposes toward which I gravitate is using my creative talents. To that end, I wrote a little song and made a video that I will share with you here. Despite the spoof on a commercial spot, this song is all about the real, scientifically proven benefits of living with purpose. Thank you to Rick Bread Kempf, Jacki Davidoff, and Tammy Taylor for singing with me, and to Silvana Favaretto for recording us on my iPhone!

Here are the lyrics to my masterpiece, The Purpose Thermos:

Purpose – you’ve got so much to do
Purpose – much more of being you
Purpose – you’ve got a surplus
So drink a thermos of purpose today.

Purpose – it’s who you are each day
Purpose – repairs your DNA
Purpose – you’ve got a surplus
So drink a thermos of purpose today.

Purpose – gives you a song to sing
Purpose – gives you more mattering
Purpose – you’ve got a surplus
So drink a thermos of purpose today.

Purpose – you’ll feel much more alive
Purpose – will rev up your sex drive
Purpose – you’ve got a surplus
So drink a thermos of purpose today.

Are you in touch with your purpose from moment to moment? What is your sense of purpose right now, reading this article or watching the video? How can you make a difference for others and for yourself in this moment? And this one? And this one?

Please share.