Purpose in a Pinterest Quote

“Be who you needed when you were younger”

This came across my Facebook feed the other day and made me think. So many cute-sy, Pinterest-y, inspirational quote photos like that come at us through the internet everyday, this one could have easily just slipped by me. But it didn’t. It echoed for some reason.

Then it hit me like a “no-duh” bag of bricks. It’s what I’m doing, and I think it speaks to root of purpose for so many of us.

As humans, we are hardwired by nature to pass down the knowledge that has seemed most essential to our survival. Think tribal societies telling their legends, histories, and other moral stories around a campfire. Ancient sages mentoring their students. Intellectuals recording stories in books first for records, then for wider public consumption.

Today, we have it all. Parents, friends, family – they all love to lend their advice. Then, there's the internet, which is like having a million books, sages, and other sources at our fingertips all at once. It can be hard to sift through it all for relevance.

I am a lifelong lover of learning. I was one of those little kids who begged her mom to take every extra class she could. I devour knowledge and I thrive on sharing what I’ve learned with others. Why hoard it all for myself, right? We all have a right to learn and grow.

Of all the knowledge and skills that I’ve learned in life, there is one practice that stands above all others in significance to me. Without it, all of my other knowledge and ambition lacked the focus and direction required to be most useful.

Can you guess what it is? Journaling and goal setting, of course!

It’s something I thank my younger self for accepting guidance on, integrating into her life, and having the determination to find the best practice that worked for her. And it’s the one thing that I wish I could go back and introduce to myself at an even younger age. It’s that valuable of a tool. Seriously.

Applying the techniques of journaling and goal setting to my life was a game changer. These techniques provided me with the focus, direction, awareness, and guidance needed to be successful. I couldn’t be any more thankful for the people and sources who mentored and inspired me in these techniques.

If you’ve read my blog post on the six easy steps of my journaling process, you know that the first thing I do when I journal every day is – WRITE MY PURPOSE.

I am alive to share the gifts that have been given to me with as many people as possible, with the hopes of inspiring millions to harness their true purpose, passion and possibility. I am alive to change minds, influence and inspire.

- Talonya Geary

Of the many gifts I've been blessed with in life, the gift I was given that really helped me harness my true purpose, passion, and possibility? Journaling and goal setting.

Essentially, I’m being the person I needed when I was younger. And while I believe that we’re all beautifully individual, I also know that we’re also incredibly alike in our human experience. If journaling and goal setting acted as a catalyst for my success…then I know that others’ dreams blossom and grow when they learn these techniques, too.

How do you relate to this?

Are you being who you needed when you were younger?

Do you know what your purpose is?

How has or how could journaling and effective goal setting change your life?

I’d love to know.