Purveyor of Possibility by Diane Gilleland

Much love and gratitude goes to Diane Gilleland for writing the following article :-)

Alex Chua wants to help you find your purpose in life. This has been his goal since 2000, when he founded his company, Beyond Possibilities. In fact, it’s his life purpose.

“I want to inspire people to live the life they were born to live, in the most fulfilling, positive, and productive way,” says Chua, age 29 and bursting with energy. “Living according to your purpose is both a duty and a responsibility. It is our pact with the Universe, which we are here to honor -- but at a pace we feel comfortable with.”

It would be fair to say that the search for life’s meaning touches everyone sooner or later -- and that there seem to be certain people who appear to have found it. You can always recognize them by the sparkle in their eye, the bounce in their step.

For the rest of us, however, purpose seems elusive, and as a result, day-to-day living can become unfocused, and a bit of a grind.

So, find your purpose and you have all the answers, right? Not exactly. Chua is quick to point out that this oft-used phrase, “finding purpose in life” has more to do with questions than answers.

“My belief is that any time we can form a clear question, on any subject, we can know the answer,” he says. “Nothing shapes our lives so much as the questions we ask, or refuse to ask, or never think of asking. Questions are the helmsman of our awareness. What you ask today becomes who you are tomorrow. What you find depends on what you were looking for.”

Chua has worked with hundreds of clients from all over the world in this capacity, gently guiding them through questions that reveal the professions, missions, choices, and service that flow from each person’s unique self.

“Your purpose is more like a fingerprint than a blueprint,” says Chua. “Every one of us has a completely unique set of skills, understandings, predilections, and qualities that make up who we are. No one can fill your niche in the world but you. I might have five clients whose purpose is to practice medicine, but each one of them will do it in a completely unique way -- and each one will contribute something completely different to the world. If you aren’t living the life you were born to live, then the world is suffering from the lack of your unique gifts.”

The reason this question of purpose is so elusive for many, says Chua, is the same reason that fish can’t really see the water they swim in. We’re always looking at the world through the lens of our unique self.

But because that lens so integral to who we are, we can forget to see it as unique, and we can forget to let that uniqueness guide us.

To help his clients rediscover that uniqueness, Chua employs a number of processes. His primary service is a game-style session called Clarity Quest, which is designed to focus a client’s awareness in a way that helps guide them to those all-important questions.

“When we lose our curiosity and sense of wonder, then we cease to be alive,” says Chua. “Clarity Quest begins in wonder and ends in wonder, just as all transformations begin and end with questions.”

Clarity Quest, according to Chua, has proven helpful for clients who feel stuck or stressed, or would like to change direction in life, but aren’t sure what that direction is. It’s also useful for clients who have just completed a major life phase, like a long-term relationship, and need help defining their next steps.

For clients who seek clarity in a more vocational sense, Chua offers a Destiny Attunement. This process is made up of two parts: a Destiny Attunement Report, followed by Destiny Coaching.

A Destiny Attunement report reveals a client’s highest path, along with the personal qualities that lead to this path, and those that stand in the client’s way. It offers advice for manifesting life along this highest path, along with concrete suggestions for vocational fields in which the client might find joy and fulfillment.

Chua’s company also offers a Speed Learning program, career design services, and a program called “SPARKS of Genius,” designed to help clients recognize and appreciate their own unique capabilities, and use them to benefit the world. Chua is bursting with enthusiasm about his services.

“Too many of us are not living life with the full expression of our potential,” he says. “We have to know what unique talents we possess, and then choose what to do with them. I urge everyone I meet to cherish and cultivate their potential, which I call “SPARKS of Genius.” We have way too much underused and unused potential  -- why waste time like this? Why put aside the talents we have, and why avoid searching for the talents we haven’t yet recognized? I think most us would have to admit some areas of their lives where they aren’t using their full potential. Are you giving your best in all areas of your life?”

And why is this clarity of purpose so important? According to Chua, it functions something like rocket fuel.

“When we aren’t clear about our purpose, we quickly get depleted,” he says. “Without clarity, we entertain all kinds of opposite thoughts and feelings about whatever we desire. We end up worrying ceaselessly, and we create an internal chaos in ourselves, which then leads to despondency. When our passion and profession aren’t aligned, we experience life as being full of stress and tension. But when they are aligned, when we’re able to operate as an integrated whole -- Mind, Body, Spirit, and Emotion -- well, watch out! With that kind of clarity, you can accomplish absolutely anything you set your mind to.”

Article by Diane Gilleland on 26^th July 2006

Diane produces podcasts including CraftyPod and Spinsterspin. She teaches blogging, podcasting, and zine-making classes in Portland, and organizes creative community groups. She also writes for SuperNaturale and Help.com.

Diane also organises The Creativity Swap, a monthly gift giving of creative inspiration via her pod, Creative Spirit. The August deadline is past, but you can begin signing up for the September Swap anytime :-)