Determining our purpose in life can be one of the most daunting and complicated questions humans try to answer. There is no right or wrong way to determine this; it usually comes with a lot of trial and error. Sometimes, you need a guide to get you going, so let’s look at a step-by-step process exploring your feelings and options. By the end, you should have a reasonably solid tool to employ in helping to give you meaningful direction immediately!

There are three steps to the process of discovering the purpose of your life:

"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." – Winston Churchill

When faced with a problem, an optimist starts figuring out ways to solve it or turn the experience into a positive one. A pessimist, however, will grumble and moan about whatever they see as wrong with the given situation.

According to the world's foremost expert on optimism, Dr. Martin Seligman, everyone is born optimistic. And yet, 95% of adults are pessimists, not optimists. What goes wrong? Some people see the glass as half empty. Others see it as half full.

Your mindset is the biggest influence on your viewpoint. If you are determined to make something happen, changes are more likely it will. Likewise, if you tell yourself you can't, I promise you, you won't!

We all have an ideal version of ourselves that we aspire to be. Maybe you want to be thinner, richer, or more successful. Or, maybe you just want to be happier and more fulfilled. Whatever it is, there's often a disconnect between who we are and who we want to be. This gap is what psychologist Dan McAdams calls "the authentic self." So, what exactly is the authentic self, and why is it important?

Keep reading to find out.

What Is the Authentic Self?

The authentic self is your true identity—who you are at your core. It includes your values, beliefs, and motivations. Importantly, it's also dynamic, which means it can change over time as you grow and evolve. Unfortunately, many of us never take the time to get in touch with our authentic selves. We allow our lives to be controlled by outside forces like our jobs, families, and society. As a result, we end up living inauthentic lives that aren't aligned with our true desires and passions.