The Pivot Towards Purpose: A Mindfulness Micro-Practice

Last week, I wrote the first blog in a three part series on ‘how to live with purpose.

That first post was focused on how to identify your core values. This post is about how to live your values. To me, this kind of authentic living is at the very heart of what it means to live mindfully.

 

Integrating Mindfulness into Daily Life: The Pivot Towards Purpose Practice

Take a moment right now to ponder how your own values already come to life each day.

Maybe you value compassion and that means you always make a point to check in on your friends when they are having a hard time.

Maybe authenticity is important to you so you express that in the way you choose to be vulnerable about your struggles. Maybe your values come to life when you’re in the grocery store, when you wait patiently for your turn as an act of kindness and courtesy for others.

But there may be other times in life where we become a little out of touch with our values. Maybe we are rushing, a little stressed or challenged. And in those moments we might feel tempted to react, lash out or choose convenience or short term pleasure; over doing what feels right for us deep in our heart. We all have moments like this from time to time.

The pivot towards purpose is an invitation to remember our own values and principles in our little moments of decision throughout the day.

“Each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.”

– Viktor Frankl

Reconnecting With What Matters In The Moment

There are two questions we can ask ourselves to help us connect with our values and pivot towards purpose in the moment. They are: What really matters to me most in this moment? Who do I want to be in this moment?

So let’s say if you find yourself in a situation where someone says something insensitive and you feel that urge to lash out at them. In that moment you can ask yourself the questions “What really matters to me most in this moment?” and “Who do I want to be in this moment?” and so maybe you realize that what you most deeply want is to be kind and create connection and understanding.

So then you pivot towards your purpose and instead of speaking harsh words you choose to reply in a clear, openhearted and compassionate way.

Or maybe you realise you feel a bit disconnected from your partner after them having a busy week and you feel yourself becoming angry with them for it. But then you ask those questions and then perhaps you realize that what you really want is to have some fun and play and connection with them.

So you pivot towards your purpose and take action guided by your values. Maybe you decide to set up a special surprise date for them and spoil them to let them know how much you value and love them.

So my invitation is this, whatever is happening for you this week, see if you can remember to pivot towards purpose. Do it as many times as you can so that this mindfulness micro-practice starts to become a habit.

No matter how others act or what stresses, challenges or triggers may arise, continue to connect with what is deep in your heart and let this awareness of what truly matters guide your decisions, actions and words as best you can.

The next post will be the final post in this three part series. We’ll explore how to set goals and build a life that is guided by your values. 

With warmth, Melli

PS. If you didn’t get to explore your values last week you can check out the first post in the series here and you may read Part 3 of the series here.