Maybe it’s just me, but lately I’ve been seeing a TON of craziness in business. Clearly, with the year winding down and the holiday season ramping up, many people are experiencing the insanity stress of making massive changes to a long-term strategy that simply isn’t working or needs to be rethought. But there’s more to it. I am seeing way more resources get taken away or “re-allocted” than I normally do. I am seeing budgets get strained to the point of breaking. I am seeing timelines shrink and deadlines pass. And above all else, I am seeing people just being exhausted, confused, or simply struggling to keep up (and often all three at the same time).

What is going on?

Some people like to say it’s the “new normal.” As if it’s sort of funny (in a really twisted/masochistic way), but – hey – get used to it. Abuse can be good for the soul, right?

No.

Not at all.

But I think abuse accurately describes how people are feeling. In other words, I don’t think the craziness is simply the result of having to work in a rapidly changing world. Is change happening? Heck yeah, it is. In an historically rare way (if you want to see my ramblings thoughts on what I mean, look here).

But crazy change shouldn’t equate to abuse. Which is how most of the folks I talk to feel. Now, let me be clear. The folks I talk to don’t all tell me they feel abused. But they exhibit the same signs. They all feel like victims (of their customers or of their bosses or of their employees or of their suppliers or even of Life in general). They all feel beaten down. They all feel like there is nothing they can do. And worst of all, they all feel like it’s not their fault. Which only confuses them more. Because they keep wondering things like, “What did I do/am I doing wrong? What do I need to do? How can I escape?”

Mirror moment: Am I talking about you? Seriously, take a long, hard look in the mirror. Do you feel like you’re getting abused? Or at least feel like you’re in a 15-round fight that has just entered the 22nd round? Are you looking for the exit sign? At work? In your family? If this is NOT you, there’s a really good chance that you know someone who is feeling this way. If this IS you, just take a breath right now. A long, slow deep breath. Let it out. Do it again. And one more time. Now, keep reading.

I have walked this same path.

I know it well. But I learned one thing that changed my entire perspective and has even minimized how often I feel this way. It’s a simple idea, but very complex to execute.

Ready for it?

Your life has purpose.

Seriously, there is a genuinely divine reason for you to be alive. Call it faith. Call it being spiritual. Call it being fluffy. I frankly don’t care. But it is the single greatest anchor that I have that has literally fueled me through the toughest of times and the best of times. And it applies to you.

Your life has purpose.

You may not be living it right now, BUT your life has purpose.

Your situation may not be ideal right now (it may even downright suck), but YOUR life has purpose.

You may be fighting a truly life-threatening battle, but your LIFE has purpose.

You may be wondering if you will even get through today, but your life CURRENTLY HAS purpose.

Your life has PURPOSE.

Now, if you don’t know what your purpose is, maybe it’s time to figure it out. If you do know your purpose, and you have let it slip from the driver’s seat of your soul, it’s time to fix that. 

It’s time to reevaluate work/family/Life through that lens. Look for what aligns and what doesn’t. Eliminate the things that don’t align. Cling to the things that do. Influence what you can. Adapt to everything else. And if that adaption means you have to change significant things, then change significant things.

30 years from now, what is going to matter most? Make decisions today that align with those priorities. 

Your life has purpose.

And if you need to some extra support in this journey, drop me a line.

I mua. Onward and upward.

By Tim Ohai