Positive Psychology Column for 2-1-04 By Tom Muha, Ph.D. Living Your Life On Purpose Do you feel lost in life? When you were young you probably had high hopes about how you wanted your life to turn out, but somewhere along the line you’ve become derailed from your dreams. Knowing how to recreate a vision for your life is an important happiness skill. When some of you faced the inevitable problems of life you took detours to get around the obstacles that were blocking the path. Now you’ve taken so many twists and turns in your life that you’ve likely lost sight of your original goals. Even many of you who are doing all the right things that society tells you will make you happy are asking, “Is this all there is to life?”  You’ve reached your goals only to find out that those outcomes were shallow and rather insignificant. To achieve authentic happiness requires having a vision that is based on purpose and values. It’s also about creating a vision that is so clear that it becomes such a compelling picture of your future that it keeps you on track when you need to negotiate around obstacles. Vision is knowing who you are, where you’re going, and what will guide your journey.  Knowing who you are means being clear about your purpose. Where you are going is the picture of your future.  What will guide your journey are your values. Combining a significant purpose and clear values will energize and mobilize you to move in the direction of your dreams. Your vision can expand to more than just about your needs as you become aware that we’re all in this world together. Moving from success to significance is about giving back to your community. Creating a vision begins by becoming clear about your core values. Values tap into your deepest feelings such that when you act in support of your values, you’re proud of your actions. Values guide your behavior and decisions on a daily basis as you pursue your purpose. Values are based upon your deeply held beliefs that certain qualities in life are desirable and define what is fundamentally important to you. Your  values supply the energy and excitement that help you remain committed when the going gets tough. To identify your core values, write down your answers to this series of questions: 1. Think of an important decision that you’ve made and identify the factors that you considered as you made it. 2. Think about what makes you feel most proud at home and at work. 3. Remember a risky situation you’ve faced and recall those personal characteristics that helped you move forward to meet that challenge. 4. As you review the list to this point, ask yourself which issues you care about most deeply. 5. Finally, think about what the elements are embodied in those issues that are absolutely essential to who you are and what you stand for. To develop an understanding of your purpose in life, translate the core values you’ve identified into a statement that puts your values into action. For example, if your core values are loving relationships, empowering others, and being grateful for the good things in your life, then your statement of purpose might be: “to engage in mutually satisfying relationships in which I empathize with the emotions of others while disclosing my own dreams, to help others to identify and live their dreams, and to appreciate the blessings that have come to me in life.” To generate a vision of your future that will serve as a motivator to energize your moving forward, create a picture in your mind of what it will look like when your purpose and values are being fulfilled. For example, a picture of the purpose stated above could be: “I am a person who loves win/win relationships. It makes me feel just as good to see someone I care about get what they need as it does to have my own needs met. I am extremely grateful for the loving energy that comes to me from my relationships. I value being at one with the natural world. I love the feeling of being in a flow with the universal life force. I connect to the higher power at those times, which helps me to clarify my purpose and renew my spirit. I’m passionate about learning how to make myself and others happy. I relish hearing hopes and dreams, as well as sharing ideas and inspirations regarding how to make them come true.”   Tom Muha is a psychologist in Annapolis. He welcomes your comments and questions. To contact him call (443) 454-7274 or email him at tom@achievinghappiness.com.