Living a purposeful life

I would like you to take a moment to think about your life right now. Ask yourself, is this who I want to be? Am I living the life I want? When you look around you, do you feel inspired? Are you comfortable and in tune with your needs and values? Is your life experiences rewarding and giving you the fulfilment and balance you need? Whatever the answer, it's fair to say that we don’t necessarily do what truly makes us happy all of the time. Instead, we do what is expected of us, or what we believe we should be doing.

Sometimes we're on the right path. There may be days or even months where we know what our passion is and where we are heading. Other times, however, we can veer off track. Things may happen that are out of our control and we can end up losing sight of that person we were meant to be. Plans don’t go as we hoped - perhaps you lost out on a job, you were made redundant, a big opportunity was missed, and big life events and tragedies happen. Maybe you are trying to be someone you are not, constantly looking for perfection or believing that you just cannot do it.

A few years ago, I watched a film that resonated with me greatly - The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) and the power of the coaching relationship in learning how to trust and believe in yourself.  

This is the tale of a golfer who had lost his swing and needed someone to show him the way and find his true purpose. Rannulph Junuh (played by Matt Damon) had found his passion in golf, but the war had taken him away from this path. After a tragic mission, he was left broken and removed from the community and turned to drink and playing poker. Along comes Bagger Vance, who becomes his caddy and helps him to find his passion for golf again. Through his caddy’s advice and encouragement, Junuh learns to focus on his game and regain his “authentic swing”. Bagger leaves him at this moment knowing that he is no longer needed. His job is done. Junuh had a choice and he took it - he chose to believe in himself and chose the road to living his life of purpose.

To create change in one's life, you as the individual must want it, accept it and take responsibility for it. When we do that, change can occur within us and resonate outwards, creating authenticity. If you believe and have the power, you can achieve great things. A coach is there to help you regain this trust in yourself, to show you the way and get back on track. Just like Bagger, once Junuh had regained his authentic swing and realised he had a purpose, he could achieve great things and no longer needed someone to tell him that. He had full power and belief in himself.

The message? Never give up. No matter where you are right now, with a little self-belief, you can learn to live your life purpose and be your authentic self.

As a golfer myself, I too know how frustrating the game can be and how, from time to time, we can lose our swing and get caught up in our emotions. There is a synergy here, life is just like golf - it's not about winning, it's about simply playing the game.