The Power of Beliefs

If you’ve seen my stories on instagram lately, you may have noticed that I’ve been finding TONS of four leaf clovers lately. 🍀

People keep telling me I’m so lucky, I’ve heard pot o gold references, and jokes that I should predict lotto numbers. But to me, if this experience has taught me anything, it’s all about the power of our BELIEFS.

This whole four leaf clover journey started when my partner and I first got together. He told me he had never found a four leaf clover, but that he was going to find one. Not that he wanted to, he was GOING to find a four leaf clover. 

At the time, I was like aw that’s cute. Kind of unlikely, but you do you. (lol) And I remember within a few weeks he found his first ever four leaf clover. Just like he said he was going to! And then he KEPT finding them. He went from never finding one, to finding them all the time!

The first time I found one was about a year later. I was out on a walk with him and I just happened to catch something out of the corner of my eye. I turned around to see it, and lo and behold I’d found a FIVE leaf clover. While I was out on a walk, not even looking. It just caught my eye while I wasn’t even paying attention. A freakin’ FIVE leaf! 

And then a little while later I found a four leaf clover. I don’t remember the timeline, but since then I’ve found several four leaf clovers. And I attribute it to BELIEVING that I can find them. 

The power of belief is SO strong. 

I believe that I am someone who finds four leaf clovers and so I do find them. 

You may be thinking, okay, love this magical thinking, Maggie. Let me just belieeeve I’m going to win the lottery and I’ll win the lottery, that’s what you’re saying, right? 😒

But no, hear me out. 

You may have heard the quote by Deepak Chopra, “What you pay attention to grows.”

So if you’re thinking about and paying attention to finding four leaf clovers, you’re more likely to see them than someone who isn’t thinking about it. Makes sense, right?

I was talking to my friend Steph recently about all of the clovers I’ve been finding and how I just believe that I’ll find them, and so I do. 

Then the next day, she was at the park with her daughter and, inspired by our conversation, she set an intention to find her first ever four leaf clover. She let go of the time frame and didn’t set expectations for when, where or how she would find one. 

And then she found her very first four leaf that day!! 

She even found another one later that week.

After she found her second one, I was joking around and telling my partner I’m a four leaf clover coach now. 💁🏼‍♀️

He responded unenthusiastically, “how do you coach that, you just look.”

Slightly offended by his disbelief, I said, “it’s deeper than that!”

And he admitted, “it is.”

Because he knows! He’s been through it too.

It really is about belief. If you believe you can find a four leaf clover, you’re much more likely to keep trying than someone else who doesn’t believe they can find one. 

What’s cool is that you could do this with almost anything. 

Is there a job you’re telling yourself that you can’t have? Or maybe a feeling that you can’t have? Or a trip you can’t go on? Or somewhere you can’t live?

What if you try and shift to BELIEVING that you CAN have that thing, or that job, or that feeling, or trip, or house, or city. What possibilities open up?

Whatever it is, I invite you to play around with believing that you can have it.

How could you fuel that with belief? Where can you look for proof that you CAN have it? Where can you find evidence from the past that is proof that you can do these things?

I’ll be the first to admit, it’s not always easy. Sometimes it takes a lot of searching, a lot of reminding yourself and reinforcing beliefs. 

And just like finding a four leaf clover, when you find it, wow. It feels like all of your work paid off. 

What is something you could fuel with belief? 

If you need help reframing beliefs and finding proof that you are more than capable of following your heart’s desire, this is some of the work I do with clients. 

We get clear on what it is that you want (you don’t have to know what you want going in), own that desire, and start taking steps to get there. So if you’re ready to upgrade your beliefs system, head to my calendar to book a free Connection Call so we can chat about it! 

You Get to Decide What “Purpose” Means to You

In my guide Connect to Yourself & Find Your Purpose, my first tip is to define what purpose means to you. 

Have you ever thought about what the word purpose actually means to you personally?

What is it that you’re searching for? How will you know when you “find” it?

The word purpose means a number of things to different people. And the reason this is important to know is that you don’t want to find yourself chasing someone else’s version of Purpose. Because what’s the use in that?

When I search Google for the definition of Purpose the first result is:

Pur·pose /ˈpərpəs/

noun: “the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.”

A lot of people use this definition for their own version of purpose. And when you translate that to a person, it’s basically the reason you exist on this planet. If this is your definition and you haven’t yet identified what that purpose is, OF COURSE you’re probably not feeling good about it. 

Let’s open it up. I think that it’s pretty rare that you’re on this planet for ONE purpose. 

Does it have to mean your job? Can part of your purpose be enjoying your life on earth?

(I have a lot of thoughts on this topic and I go into it more HERE.)

Even the word Purpose can carry a lot of weight. It can create pressure. The pressure to find the ONE reason you’re alive on this earth. Wowie. 😅

If this is you, and the word Purpose just feels too much, how would it feel to choose other words? What alternatives feel more empowering to use?

Some examples:

Direction, calling, mission, message, next thing, your WHY, your work, motivation, intention, passion, etc.

The list goes on. 

I took a poll on instagram and collected some really good answers…

I asked, What does PURPOSE mean to you?

“That which feeds the soul and gives meaning to our lives.”

“Reasons for living! Contributions to your community!”

“Something that gets you up in the morning even on your worst days.”

“Finding a place in the world that not only supports progression, but also supports peace.”

“Feeling fulfilled and in a genuine state of happiness that you’re on the right path for YOU.”

“The path my soul craves to wander down.”

These are real answers from real people. It makes me a little emotional to read them. Each and every one of them is so heartfelt and beautiful. I love the way that they’re so freeing, have such depth, and room to move around and play. Incredible. 

One of my previous clients wrote her own definition of Purpose in such a creative way. When she first sat down with this exercise, she came up with a definition, but she still found it a little limiting and felt disappointed. In our session, I asked her to get a little more expansive with her definition. To go broader than the “expected” definition of purpose.

She wrote:

“What is my purpose on this earth?

To build community

To love and be loved

To connect with the earth

To explore

To play

To create family

To treat people kindly

To treat the earth with respect

To learn

To grow

To be

I am already living my purpose.”

As her coach, reading her new definition brought me to tears. This was someone who was so stressed out by not knowing her purpose, that she was constantly worrying about it. And then to see in her own handwriting that she was already living her purpose. It was such a powerful shift! When I saw her in our next session, I could see so much light in her eyes. Ah, what a gift!

I invite you to create your own definition. You can borrow some of these examples above or create a whole new definition for yourself. 

I’d love to hear from you. Tell me, what’s your definition of purpose?

To get more tips for finding direction and purpose, sign up to receive my free guide Connect to Yourself & Find Your Purpose.

The Mindset Shift That Changed It All

Today I’m telling you about the mindset shift that changed it all for me when I was lost and searching for my purpose.

Before Picture

I remember years ago feeling so lost. The question of “what’s my purpose?” and “what the hell am I doing with my life?” were constantly haunting my mind. It was something I spent sooo much time worrying about and it occupied way too much brain space. 

I was working an unfulfilling job and felt like I was wasting my life away. Deep down, I knew that I was here for more, I just couldn’t access what it was. 

I would spend my off days researching different topics, searching for answers to this elusive question. I felt like I was getting nowhere and wished someone would just TELL ME my purpose already. 

All the while seeing others around me seemingly having an easy time. 

Was it just me? Did no one else struggle like this?

The Shift

I came across an interview or podcast about Purpose and the way they talked about it was unlike anything I had heard before.

They basically asked “Does your purpose have to mean your job?”

And they went on to say something along the lines of, Isn’t there so much more to life than jobs? Don’t you think part of your purpose is to *enjoy* your life on earth? 

This was a breakthrough moment for me. Hearing that totally shifted my perspective and how I thought about my Purpose. Instead of this narrow view I held of what purpose was, it really expanded my mindset and helped me take some of the pressure off.

Because YES there is WAY more to life than just working. Our capitalistic society makes us think that our purpose and value is measured by our productivity.

How messed up is that??

Reminds me of this tweet by @melatoninlau on twitter:

“Western cultures believe we must be alive for a purpose. To work, to make money. Some indigenous cultures believe we are alive just as nature is alive: to be here, to be beautiful & strange. We don’t need to achieve anything to be valid in our humanness.”

New View of Purpose

Hearing about purpose in a new light helped me realize how much time I had been spending worrying about my purpose and staying stuck instead of living my purpose. 

Because when you expand past your job, your life is meant to be lived. Not spent excessively worrying about your purpose.

When you shift your focus on things you enjoy, things that bring you joy and pleasure, life doesn’t feel so goddamn miserable anymore. 

Conclusion

Purpose doesn’t have to be limited to your job. When you expand your definition of purpose it can be freeing and lead you to a more purpose filled life.

If you’d like some help on your path to purpose, check out my free guide Connect to Yourself & Find Your Purpose. Inside, you’ll find 10 tips on helping you find greater purpose in your life. Click here to get your copy!