Cluney - Finding Purpose

2016 Josie Cluney

All Rights Reserved

CONTENTS

Finding Purpose

Do you ever feel like youre lost, like youre stuck in a rut or have no purpose? Do you feel like there should be more to life than how youre currently living it? Like youre just running around in circles to no avail?

For so long I followed along with the beliefs of my family, the beliefs of my teachers, and the beliefs of society.

I lived my life the way I was expected to, not the way I wanted to.

And I felt lost, without a purpose, and unhappy.

But through research whilst trying to help others and myself with depression, I was able to come across valuable knowledge and wisdom; a way to lift our spirits and to give our lives meaning and purpose again.

Finding Purpose is written for those who feel this way, to help inspire and motivate you. To help you find your purpose in life. I hope it will kick-start you into thinking of whats truly important to you and what matters most in life.

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Childhood Innocence

Childhood means simplicity. Look at the world with the child's eye - it is very beautiful. ~ Kailash Satyarthi

We were all children once. Carefree and innocent with not a care in the world. We would run around the garden, chasing insects and building in the dirt. Wed climb trees and swim in the creek.

We were happy and joyful, excited each day.

Where did that go?

Where did the innocence go?

We grew up.

We gained responsibilities and bills. We struggled our way through schooling and then leapt straight into the workforce.

We forgot the ways of our childhood, how to live stress free and happily.

Ill relay a piece of my childhood, a reminder of an easier time.

I used to play cricket outside with my dad and siblings when I was a kid; its one of my fond memories of childhood. The laughter and joy as we ran around, spending quality time with dad while mum watched on.

I remember a time when we spent our entire time outdoors. We had various pets over the years, dogs, cats, goats, sheep, and chickens.

We used to collect all the scraps from meals and giggle as we threw it into the chicken run and then go inside the coop to collect the eggs. We would run around in the paddock and build forts out of branches to try to keep the goats out. We had one goat, Alex, who wasnt the friendliest, and Spike, who was a darling.

We spent our afternoons in the paddock fixing up our fort; wed sometimes invite friends over to help us build. Wed squeal and run as the goats would find a way in and Alex would try to head-butt us while Spike wanted scratches.

Its another time I remember well, the innocent fun and play.

Then there were the dogs. They provided us with much joy and companionship; wed set up jumps for them (we had border collies) and reward them with treats when they made the leap. We took them for walks, brushed them, played fetch and took them down to the dam for a swim.

Our childhood days were filled with trips to the beach and camping, something that has become sparse, as weve grown up and found other ways to amuse ourselves.

I still remember the time I purchased my first Gameboy advance handheld console. A friend of mine in primary school was selling hers, which I later found out was because she was upgrading to this fancy new DS. I scrounged together my coins Id saved from school tuckshop money and chores around the house, and with a small loan from my mother, I paid her a little over $60 for the console and a single Pokmon game.

I stayed up at night playing the game, pretending to be asleep when my mother came in to check on me. It was something I greatly enjoyed.

My sisters and I eventually got into the new DSs and we played together with various games, or even just through the pictochat (a chat/drawing thing done wirelessly with nearby devices).

We also got the new PlayStation 2, upgrading from our much-loved PlayStation 1. We were big fans of Crash Bandicoot and would take turns on a Friday night and over the weekend. Wed camp in the garage, which had a spare room with a double bed. Wed stay up late completing the levels with each other.

We had a simple but happy childhood. We enjoyed these basic things.

We saw the world around us through eyes filled with wonder and excitement. We chased butterflies and built tyre swings, we picked flowers and sat in amazement as we watched all the small things this beautiful world has to offer us. From the small lady beetle perched on a leaf to the sounds of the birds and wildlife around us. We took it all in and loved it.

In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. ~ Abraham Lincoln

Most of us have lost touch with that part of ourselves, that inner child that appreciates the beauty around us. That child that laughs at silly things and rolls around in the grass.

I challenge you to find time to discover this child once more and let them out.

To laugh and find joy in the world around you.

I want you to spend time with your siblings or children, play those old board games you loved so much or bring out that ancient gaming console for a trip down memory lane. Take your niece or nephew outside and try to find a bunch of little insects, show them the wonders that can be found right in your backyard.

Be carefree again, forget the worries and stresses for just a moment and revel in this wonderful world we live in.

No excuses, its only a moment of your time. Switch the TV off and go outside, try to listen to your surroundings; close your eyes. Breathe.

Go for a walk; take your family to the beach.

Find time for them. Theyre important.

Eventually your parents, siblings and children will grow older, and theyll also lose touch with their inner child. Theyll grow old and get lost in the worries and stresses of life.

Theyll run on autopilot as they work each day and go to bed, forgetting the wonders of the world and forgetting to stop and take it in.

Theyll forget to connect with whats around them.

Take your chance today, dont wait for tomorrow. Go outside, dance in the rain if you must, but find your joy.

Be a child again.

Thats my challenge for you.

Goal Setting

Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today. ~ Philip Stanhope

What inspired this book itself was the memory of a bout of depression I had. I struggled with it, seeing therapists and being suggested to go on medication. It was a rough patch, but after a few years I pulled through it, and I found that music, reaching out, being with loved ones, and setting goals for myself was the way to go.

Goal setting is important, it gives you a drive, a will to continue on, to achieve something rewarding. Whether it be a savings amount, a travel destination, a list of chores for the day, redecorating or finishing a book; theyre all worthy goals.

The sense of achievement and worthiness at the completion of any goal you give yourself is a remarkable feeling. Dont let anyone belittle your goals or dreams.

Even if theyre small, theyre still your goals, and you should work towards them. Give yourself a timeframe; otherwise youll keep putting it off. Youll procrastinate.

Dont worry, we all procrastinate, but its a killer of happiness, and the stresses start to build up. We put things off until tomorrow, but sometimes tomorrow never comes.

Dont let procrastination get the best of you.

Do What You Love

I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions. ~ Stephen Covey

All throughout my childhood, I can remember dad coming home from work and sitting down to relax, and hed talk about his day. About how much he hated his job.