Being comfortable: thinking I know what I'm doing, where I'm going and that it's all under control. My, how I can fool myself.

This realization hit me again about 10 days ago while attending NLP conference in Toronto. One of keynote presenters, Judith Delozier, brought up idea of The Hero's Journey in context of leadership, in particular self-leadership. I had heard term before and understood it to mean life's journey in which we come face to face with who we are, our deepest fears and desires, our weaknesses and our strengths. In other words, getting uncomfortable.

In this Journey Hero is YOU, and in my life, it is ME. The hero has a job to do. This job -- your job, my job -- is to be aware, trust and live in connection with your unique greatness. Sounds simple, and in essence, I believe it is simple. However, simple does not equal easy. It requires stepping out of your comfort zone.

As I've grown, I've become clearer and clearer about my journey (or I think I'm clearer). I believe my journey is to teach and lead and coach others to discover their own unique journey. I know this is true. I can feel it in my bones, in my gut, my chest and through my shoulders.

Still, for some reason I often resist. I resist owning fullness and potential power of my own journey. Getting through barriers, blocks and obstacles requires a journey to new and uncomfortable places of introspection and self-awareness. It requires work and being OK with not knowing. Thoughts and emotions of uncertainty and doubt float through my mind and offer me simple excuses to stop putting in effort. These patterns of distraction were clearly defined by Buddha who understood workings of human mind.

When you get clear on your life mission, you also get clear about how to live to accomplish your mission, making relationship decisions and choices effortless. In this way you can take much of guesswork out of what you need to do to have true love in your life.

No more writing long lists of partner qualities you're not sure you deserve. Once you are in touch with your life mission, you will have a clear picture of kind of partner who will help, not hinder, your efforts. No more wondering if you should tell someone they need to treat you better. You will demand best possible treatment. You will have no time or energy for anything less.

To define what a life mission is, let's first take a look at what a life mission is not:

* It is not what your parents told you your life is for * It is not what society tells your life is for * It is not your career, although it can be expressed through your career * It is not accumulating wealth * It is not some grand plan that is imposed on you * It is not what you think it should be

A life mission is:

* That something you do that makes you feel completely alive while contributing to others * Activities you do naturally, that you have a natural knack for * A part of you that has always been there as long as you remember * A flame that burns deep inside you * Your intrinsic contribution to humanity

Common questions about a life mission: --------------------------------------

Q: What is my life mission? A: Review exercise below to help you discover your life mission.

Q: How do I know I have a life mission? A: A life mission is expressed in your passion. If you have passion, you have a life mission. Every human being has passion, whether he or she is aware of it or not.

Q: Do I need a life mission? A: No one needs a life mission, yet we all have one. When you are in touch with yours, life takes on a new power, new meaning, new ease and much more aliveness and passion.

Will you pass up opportunity to have more aliveness and passion? I doubt you will, so let's get to work and discover your life mission.