The Power of Clarity

Clarity in life is a result of knowing what we want and knowing why we want what we want. When we have clarity, we seem to be able to tap into an endless supply of energy and drive. And when we don't know what we want, we tend to feel unmotivated and uninspired. We tend to just go through the motions of life rather than living with purpose and intention.

Seeking deepening levels of clarity is such an important aspect for anyone looking to grow and transform their lives. Greater clarity is a result of asking yourself questions to better understand your life. This is the process of self-discovery.

What is it that you truly want? What's important to you? What do you want for yourself - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually? It's about becoming more self-aware.

Many of us get caught up in the day-to-day demands of life. As a result, we can lose touch with what we want for ourselves - as far as our health, our relationships or our vision for how we want to show up in the world and how we wish to impact others.

And if we lose touch of where we want to go, we begin to just wander through life. We have no direction. No idea of what actions we need to take to grow and evolve in ways that are actually meaningful to us. In this way, it's not even possible to have personal development without direction - without clarity.

But perhaps you're feeling a bit lost right now? Or maybe you don't have as much clarity as you had at a previous point in your life? Or maybe your life is feeling somewhat stagnant and you're not sure which direction to go. Trust me, we've all been there!

I actually believe doubt and uncertainty can be a good thing. It invites us to take stock of where we are and question where we want to go. Many people just keep doing the same things over and over again in life just because it's what they know or what they're good at. It feels safe. And well, just easier.

It can be quite challenging or scary even to think there might be a different way for us to live and be.

But for those with the courage and willingness to embrace the discomfort - this discomfort can actually serve us by driving us to seek greater clarity and self-awareness.

An example from my personal life is when I was contemplating a complete career change. I was shrouded in confusion. At the time, a friend asked me: "If you won the lottery, what would you want your life to look like? How would you spend each day?"

I couldn't answer her. I really didn't know. I could think of things I would want to do in the short-term - like travel the world, buy things for myself and loved ones, and experience things that I never had the freedom to experience while being constrained by the responsibilities of a corporate career.

But what would I want to do after I did all of that? Intuitively, I knew that my newfound financial freedom of winning the lottery - in and of itself - wouldn't be able to buy me happiness. I felt so disconnected from knowing what I truly wanted out of life. I had worked so hard to get where I was - only to discover that I wasn't happy or fulfilled once I got there.

I had no clue how I truly wanted to live each day of my life and what would bring me the greatest joy.

I didn't have clarity because somewhere along the line, I had stopped asking myself the important questions. I didn't know who I was or who I wanted to be anymore. I think a common misconception about clarity is that once you have it, you're set for life. But this is not the case. The habit of seeking clarity is a continuous process. It must become a practice.

What we want changes as we grow and evolve in life. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if it doesn't change, it means we've become stagnant. Our natural state of being is one of thriving - and not just surviving.

As so, clarity is not a fixed destination. It must be continuously re-visited and refined through the process of asking ourselves questions, in order to develop greater self-awareness. And it is this self-awareness, alongside with being able to manage our energy (physical, mental and emotional), which allows us to actualize what we want and access a deeper level of fulfillment in life.