When I work with coaching clients, I ask them to fill out a purpose worksheet. My clients tend to have an abiding commitment to social justice and equity. They are often challenged to answer the questions I pose because they are deeply identified as problem solvers. This means they don’t spend time discovering and living their lives driven by their unique gifts.

A lens of equity, compassion, and love
When I introduce myself to people, I say that I now do my equity work through my coaching, writing, and speaking. There is no other way for me to view the world except through a lens of equity, compassion, and love. As I am now stocking my new cottage home, I purposefully look for vendors and products that are environmentally friendly at the best possible price, por supuesto.

I no longer doubt my goodness and value or base it on the opinion of others. I also no longer move from a place of needing to be liked or be seen as helpful at the cost of my health and wellness. My perspective is grounded in the belief that all people can solve their problems given the access, resources, and agency to do so. It is a relief to not have to be a serial “problem solver”. That is something I do sometimes, but it is no longer my identity or the driving force of my actions. My driving force is my purpose, which holds infinite possibilities and keeps me on a path where my values do not change even as what I say and do stays fresh and authentic.