A moment of joy, freedom, and gratitude for the journey God continues to unfold.
Sometimes discovering your purpose starts with remembering who you are, Whose you are, and trusting what has already been placed inside you.
A Question That Made Me Pause
Hi everyone! I'm so glad you're here!
I want to keep it real and share something personal with you. Something that made me pause, reflect, and look more deeply at my own life.
I was asked, "When you think about purpose, what does it mean to you?"
Now, you might think that's an easy question to answer, right? Well, it wasn’t easy for me.
I had to ponder that question for a little while. Not because I didn't believe I had a purpose, but because I wanted to understand what purpose truly meant to me.
Have you ever been asked a question that seemed so simple, and yet it caused you to look a little deeper within yourself? That was this question for me.
One day, while sitting in my office and looking at my inspiration wall, my eyes were drawn to one of my favorite poems, "Our Deepest Fear" by Marianne Williamson.
I've read this poem many times before, but this one particular time, something was different. I mean really different. The words spoke to my heart and spirit in such a way that caused me to pause. As I reflected on what I was reading, I began to gain a greater clarity about what I believed God was saying to me. And something began to shift in my understanding. I started realizing that purpose wasn't necessarily about having everything figured out, or having the perfect plan, or even knowing exactly where life would take me.
No, you see, for me, it was about knowing who I am, recognizing my worth, and trusting what God had already placed within me.
What Purpose Means to Me
As I continued reflecting on this question, I took out my notebook and began putting my thoughts into words.
For me, purpose means:
❤️ Knowing my worth.
❤️ Knowing who I am.
❤️ Knowing that the gifts and talents I have in me have been placed inside of me by God.
❤️ And knowing that if He trusted me with it, then I need to trust Him with me.
That last statement really spoke to my heart, and it still does today.
How many times have we recognized something within ourselves, only to question whether we were capable, qualified, or even worthy of doing it? I know I've had those moments.
Moments when I've looked at what someone else was accomplishing and wondered whether I had what it took. Moments when I questioned my abilities or allowed someone else's opinion to carry more weight than what I believed God was calling me to do.
And if I'm being completely transparent, there were times when I allowed those thoughts to keep me from moving forward. But I've come to realize something important:
I cannot fully embrace my purpose while constantly measuring my life against someone else's. My journey is my journey. And yours is yours.
When Someone Else's Expectations Became Louder Than My Own Voice
I want to share something with you that happened over 17 years ago. At that time in my life, my dream was to further my education and earn a college degree. I wanted to grow, learn, and better myself. But someone in a pastoral leadership role didn't see it that way.
Instead of encouraging my desire to pursue an education, this individual criticized me for wanting to attend college rather than dedicating more of my time to working in the church. I was told that I was stubborn and was even compared to an animal known for its stubbornness.
Can you imagine wanting to do something positive for your life, something that could help you grow, only to have someone question your decision in such a hurtful way?
What made that experience especially difficult was that the criticism came from someone in a position of spiritual leadership. I had to wrestle with something much deeper than whether I should pursue a degree. I had to wrestle with the voices I was allowing to influence the direction of my life. And that is not always an easy thing to recognize, especially when the voice belongs to someone you believe is supposed to provide spiritual guidance.
Looking back, I realize how important it is to distinguish between seeking wise counsel and allowing someone else to determine your purpose. There is a difference. I can respect someone's position without surrendering my ability to make decisions about my own life. I can value spiritual guidance while still taking responsibility for the direction I believe God is leading me. And I can serve God without believing that pursuing my personal growth somehow diminishes that service.
My desire to better myself didn't mean I was turning away from God or my purpose. Perhaps it was part of discovering it.
That experience reminds me why understanding my worth, knowing who I am, and recognizing to Whom I belong are so important. Because when you don't fully recognize your own worth, it can become easier to allow someone else's opinion to shape how you see yourself. And sometimes, the very thing you're being discouraged from pursuing may be part of the journey that helps you discover who you are becoming.
Thirteen Years Later: A Journey Worth Continuing
Thirteen years of perseverance, faith, and trusting God's timing. The journey wasn't always easy, but every step was meaningful. What God placed in my heart was worth continuing to pursue.
But here's what I want you to know. I continued taking classes. I attended college part-time while working full-time and helping my husband, who was and is my biggest supporter, manage the needs of our family.
Life didn't stop because I decided to pursue my education. There were still responsibilities to take care of, commitments to honor, and everyday family needs that required our attention.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, I was working toward a goal that meant something to me. Believe me, it wasn't a journey that happened overnight.
In fact, it took me 13 years to complete this journey, and at the end, I earned my Bachelor of Science in Psychology: Life Coaching, graduating Cum Laude. Not to mention, I received an Associate of Arts, graduating with Honors. Thank you, LORD!
Thirteen years.
When I think about those years, I don't just think about earning a degree. I think about the journey, the responsibilities, the commitment, and the decision to keep moving forward. I was a wife, a working woman, and a college student. I was helping my husband care for our family while also making room for my own personal growth. And I want to share something with you. Sometimes we can become so busy taking care of our responsibilities and meeting the needs of others that we begin to put our own dreams and desires aside.
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever wanted to pursue something for yourself but wondered how you would find the time, energy, or resources to make it happen?
I understand. Because something my journey taught me was that pursuing my personal growth didn't mean I was neglecting the other important parts of my life. No, not at all. It meant making room for something that mattered to me, too.
And it also taught me that everyone's journey looks different. Some people complete their education in four years. For me, it took 13. And that's okay.
My journey wasn't less meaningful because it took longer.
Looking back, I can appreciate how those years became part of my story. The very education I was once criticized for pursuing became part of the foundation for the coaching work I do today.
Hmm, isn’t it something how life can unfold?
I wanted to further my education and better myself. And along the way, I was continuing to learn about commitment, perseverance, personal growth, and the importance of trusting God with the direction of my own life. I didn't have everything figured out. But I kept going. And that's something I want you to take away from my story.
You can honor your responsibilities and still make room for your dreams.
You can care for the people you love and still recognize that your personal growth matters.
You can take small steps toward something meaningful, even when your journey doesn't look like someone else's. And you can give yourself permission to move forward at your own pace. Because sometimes living on purpose isn't about how quickly you reach your destination. Sometimes it's about recognizing what matters to you and making the decision to keep going, one step at a time.
My journey took 13 years, but those years were not wasted. They were part of my journey toward becoming who I am today.
My Personal Moment of Reflection
As I sat with my thoughts, I began to understand that my purpose starts with knowing and understanding who I am and to Whom I belong.
I began reminding myself:
❤️ My purpose begins with believing that God has called me to this time to do the work He has placed in me.
❤️ My purpose is to stop measuring my talents against someone else's and start living my life according to the purpose God has placed within me.
❤️ My purpose is to be the woman of God He created me to be.
❤️ My purpose is to be the coach my clients need me to be.
But here's where my reflection became even more personal. I had to acknowledge that there were times in my life when I allowed other people to influence or even dictate how I saw myself and what I believed I was capable of accomplishing.
Sometimes those voices came from people around me. Other times, they came from my own fears, insecurities, and doubts. And without even realizing it, I had given those voices permission to influence my decisions.
Have you ever done that? Have you ever allowed someone's opinion, expectations, or doubts to cause you to question something you felt deeply in your heart?
I have. And I reached a point where I had to ask myself, "How much longer am I going to allow other people's expectations to determine how I live my life?"
Choosing to Live on Purpose
Here's what I know today.
My purpose requires me to stop allowing people to talk me out of doing what God has placed in me to do. It means learning to trust Him, even when I don't have all the answers or when it feels uncomfortable.
It means giving myself permission to grow, make mistakes, learn, and begin again. And it means understanding that I don't have to become someone else to fulfill what God has called me to do. I need to become more confident in being the woman He created me to be.
I must live on purpose, not according to people's expectations of me.
That realization has been both freeing and challenging.
Freeing because I no longer want to measure my worth against someone else's accomplishments.
Challenging because living with that freedom means I have to make different choices. I have to recognize when fear is speaking louder than faith, when comparison is stealing my joy, and when I'm allowing uncertainty to keep me from moving forward.
Today, I am choosing something different.
I am choosing to trust God with the gifts He placed within me.
I am choosing to believe that my life has meaning and that I have something valuable to offer.
And I am choosing to move forward, even when I don't know exactly what the next step will look like.
Does that mean I'll never experience fear or uncertainty again? Absolutely not.
But what it does mean is that I don't have to let those feelings make every decision for me. And perhaps that's part of what living on purpose really means.
A Thought From My Heart to Yours
I've learned that trusting God's plan doesn't mean knowing every step ahead. It means having faith that He is still working, even when the journey looks different from what I imagined.
If you're reading this and you've been questioning your purpose, your worth, or whether you have what it takes to move forward, I want to encourage you. You don't have to have everything figured out today. You don't have to compare your beginning to someone else's middle. And you don't have to wait until every fear disappears before you take a step towards what matters to you.
Sometimes the most meaningful beginning is simply giving yourself permission to discover who you are and what is possible for your life.
My understanding of purpose continues to grow, and I believe it will continue to unfold throughout my journey. And that's okay.
Because at 378 Coaching®, I believe there is meaning in discovering our purpose, honoring the completion of what has run its course, and finding the strength to embrace new beginnings.
3 - Purpose. 7 - Completion. 8 - New Beginnings.
And sometimes, a new beginning starts with one honest question:
Am I living the life I believe I'm called to live, or the life others expect me to live?
Remember, your journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's to be meaningful.
Give yourself the green light to explore what's next.
With grace, warmth, and encouragement,
Coach Latonia
378 Coaching®
Your Moments of Reflection
Sometimes the most meaningful discoveries begin when we give ourselves permission to pause, reflect, and listen to what is within us.
Take a moment to consider what purpose means to you. Consider reading Marianne Williamson's poem, "Our Deepest Fear," and reflecting on any distractions, fears, self-sabotaging or limiting beliefs that may be keeping you from moving forward.
Are you wondering how you can discover your purpose? Well, it will depend on the journey you are willing to take.
Are you willing to look deep inside yourself to find the good that you possess? Are you willing to step outside of your comfort zone to discover your fears and barriers? Are you willing to embark on a journey to create an action plan to confront your barriers, hindrances, and obstacles?