By Hannah Whitesides, Retreat Leader & Fear Management Specialist for our Company Virtual Retreats

What is your purpose? 

Don’t panic. It’s a loaded question and shouldn’t be asked. The real question should be, 

What is your passion?

Passion and purpose go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. The way I see it, is if humans were cars then your passion is the gas, it’s the fuel that pumps inspiration, motivation, and enthusiasm into your life so you can steer the car toward your goals. Purpose on the other hand, isn’t part of the car at all, at first. Purpose is the hitchhiker you find and pick up along the way (I know most people probably wouldn’t pick up a hitchhiker but bare with me for this analogy). 

The journey to our purpose can seem really difficult. Sometimes we take a detour because all the noise in the world can distract us. This noise gets louder as we get older and comes in the form of things like responsibility, sustainability, and fear. You’ll know when the noise has taken over because suddenly you find yourself cruising down the interstate, following the crowd, on empty. You might even realize that you shouldn't be on the interstate at all, you should be taking a back road. That’s when you recognize that if you keep going down this road you’re never going to get to your purpose because you’re lacking your fuel, your passion, and your purpose keeps walking farther and farther away. 

Your passion is something that requires a lot of upkeep and sometimes you have to fight to follow it which might require some major life changes. For example, a common trend people look for in a relationship is having “that spark.” What is the spark? It’s passion. When we don’t have that, we leave the relationship. So why don’t we hold our careers to the same standard? Many adults are outwardly miserable with their careers and it’s because they didn’t listen to their passion. They’re running on empty. Listen to your passion and drive your car to the career that brings you a greater sense of fulfillment. Only then will you find your purpose. 

Why should companies care about their employees' passions?

Companies state a clear purpose. For example, Merck’s purpose statement is, “Our purpose is to preserve and improve human life.” Let’s go back to the beginning and turn it around. Every individual has their own purpose that is fueled by their passion but from a company standpoint they have chosen their purpose. Therefore, the employees they hire either have the fuel for the company's purpose or they don’t. If an employee has the fuel, they will have an innate enthusiasm, work ethic, and positivity for the company that will drive them right to its purpose. If an employee doesn’t, then they will always be running on empty. 

EY and Harvard Business Review co-authored a research project which revealed that 58% of companies that are truly purpose-driven report 10% growth or more over the past three years, versus 42% of companies that don’t have a fully-embedded purpose reporting a lack or even decline of growth in the same period.

Here’s a final thought. To individuals: Purpose is something that everyone wants to find but you won’t be able to find it unless you let your passion guide you to it. Look at your life now. Was it your passion that led you to your job or career? Does it give you energy and excitement or are you running on empty? 

To companies: Revisit your purpose statement. Do your employees feel like they have a reason to be with your company beyond profit? Are you achieving your purpose statement or are you fostering a work-to-live, live-to-work environment? 

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Project Passport is a proactive mental wellness company that aims to bring wellness retreats, workshops and other services to company teams and also help women create joy in their lives every step of the way. To learn more about our company retreats and services, click here. To learn more about our tribe community for women, click here. Our travel retreats will resume in the future as the world reopens.