“Most of us go to our graves with our music still inside us.” said Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Living in a world that consistently tells us who to be we struggle to find who we are, to be ourselves and lead an authentic life. Being true to ourselves means we have to first recognize who we are, and to know who we are we have to find our purpose.  Our purpose is what defines us, makes us different and separates us from others. What we do is not who we are, but what define us is our brand, is the music within and the source of our passion. It is what we cannot help but to be. My job has been leading teams in large organizations driving results, but who ‘I am’ is about “leaving each life I touch better than when I found it”, so who I am is “a steward of awakening”, that is what drives me.

How do you find your purpose? By letting go of what you are told to be, look within to discover what your essence is, your most challenging experiences in life and how they shaped you, and what you enjoy doing today that helps you rejoice and sing your song.  This is easier said than done in a world that constantly pushes us in a box that we feel we need to conform to, so fight the urge to conform. Purpose defines us and integrity shapes us, so live your life as you were born to live it, with purpose and integrity.

I have always told my two wonderful children to discover and be happy with whom you are. Don’t be anyone but yourself and find your strength in your uniqueness. It has not come easy but now that they are young adults they have very strong foundation within that guides each of their steps. The peer pressures that cause most youngsters to follow paths less conducive to their happiness and success seem to have no impact on my two young adults. Similarly, I give the same message to those that I coach and lead, and have noticed that it is a challenge for them as an adult to even allow themselves to acknowledge who they really are; and trust their essence in finding the strength in their uniqueness and to be better than they had ever thought they could be. Unleashing the true self and digging deep in finding the music within is the journey I like to take people on.

If you dare to find the music within and sing your song I recommend to create your purpose statement, clearly explain your purpose, set a long term goals of 5 years, set short term goals of 2-3 years, then set 1 year goals; make your actions purposeful and specific, and at last, map out your immediate tactics, 6, 3, 2, 1 month, and weekly.  Be very specific and purposeful in mapping out your actions. You need to identify your support system and communicate what you need from them and how they can support you. This is not an easy task by any means; find a coach or a mentor that can guide you through this journey.

Let your music be heard by all and it will be the legacy you leave behind, the very thing that everyone will miss if you are not around. It will be your gift to the world and those closest to you that you love.