As human beings, God created us to belong in communities.  Discovering and operating in your purpose requires individual effort and communal participation.  Your gifts, passion, and abilities will fully ignite only as you operate in the community to fulfill a need or to solve a problem that God has empowered you to solve. However, I realize that many individuals struggle to find a community to plug into so that they can have a greater impact. 

Why do many people struggle to find a community to be aligned with?  Why do many people struggle to find their Purpose Tribe? 

Purpose Tribe Defined

I define a Purpose Tribe as a community of individuals who have similar gifts, passion, and abilities that voluntarily come together to grow, strengthen each other, and individually and collectively impact the sphere of influence that they have a burden for. I like this quote from Jane Howard, “Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”[1]

Three Keys to Use to Find Your Purpose Tribe

1. Answer the six essential questions
2. Assess who you’re connected to on your pathway to your purpose
3. Get clear on your sphere of influence you’re called to impact

Answer 5 of the 6 Essentials Questions

Before you can discern the tribe that you need to be part of, you will have to answer some prior questions.  I have written a blog on these questions.  Please check it out.  When you have clear answers to 5 of the 6 questions, you are able to discern what tribe you should be part of to flourish in your purpose. Here are the questions:

1. Whose are you? (Relationship)
2. Who are you? (Identity)
3. What moves you? (Assignment)
4. What are you doing about it? (Equipping)
5. What impact are you making? (Execution)
6. Who are you connected to along the way? (Community)

Assess who you’re connected to on your pathway to your purpose

Ken Coleman, author of the book, From Paycheck to Purpose: The Clear Path to Doing Work You Love discusses the proximity principle.  The principle is essential this: The right people + the right places = opportunities.[2]  In this principle, there are 5 people you can connect to as you work belong to a tribe: [3]

1. The professors instruct you on the skills you’ll need to succeed in the field you want to work in. They mentor you and get you started in your desired field.
   
2. The producers are winning in the field you want to be in, and they’re accessible because they’re owners or executives who create jobs, hire, and build teams.
   
3. The Peers accompany you on your journey. They’re in the same stage of life as you. They share your values and your drive. They’ll encourage and challenge you when you need it.
   
4. The Professionals are the best of the best in their field. They are well-known and someone you look up to for their accomplishments and inspiration.
   
5. The Mentors are the wise sages who offer guidance and accountability.

As you seek to get plugged into a tribe, it is important to assess what you need and who you should relate to so you can move forward in your purpose.

Get clear on your sphere of influence you’re called to impact

In the course,  Uncluttered: How to Discover Your Purpose Through Your Life Story I discuss how to align your gifts, abilities, and passion to impact your sphere of influence.  Your sphere of influence is your “purpose vehicle” i.e., the context in which you express your purpose. God often gives us a burden for certain contexts.  When you are clear on the context, you will also connect with like-minded individuals who are also called to impact the context.  Examples of key sectors of the society include:

• Church
• Business
• Government
• Media
• Education
• Arts & Entertainment
• Family
• Healthcare
• Social Justice

Identify your burden, and you will be able to connect to a tribe that also has that similar burden to bring about positive transformation in that sphere of influence.

What’s holding you back from finding your tribe?  Sign up for the course,  Uncluttered: How to Discover Your Purpose Through Your Life Story

[1] Jane Howard Quotes (Author of Margaret Mead). (n.d.). Good Reads. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/64413.Jane_Howard

[2] Solutions, R. (2021, September 9). How the Proximity Principle Can Change Your Life. Ramsey Solutions. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.ramseysolutions.com/career-advice/proximity-principle-can-change-your-life

[3] Coleman, K., & Ramsey, D. (2021). From Paycheck to Purpose: The Clear Path to Doing Work You Love. Ramsey Press.