The concept of purpose is a very common theme in modern society. From movies to podcasts, successful artists, icons, and personalities — the importance of finding one’s purpose is regularly stressed. This is often concluded with the statement that once you do find it, the rest shall fall into place.
It goes without saying, of course, that for something that valuable, finding one’s purpose can be a tricky, arduous, and elusive task. As the saying goes, if it were easy, everyone else would be doing it. As we can see in our society, however, this is obviously not necessarily so.
Too often do we see people who are either lost or confused. Most are also accustomed to just walking aimlessly in their everyday life without direction and simply fulfilling their needs as they come along.
There are some fortunate individuals, however, who perhaps by chance or luck or something else were able to find their purpose — their “why” — early on. Those are exceptions to the general rule.
Thankfully, the general rule need no longer be set in stone. You may not know it yet, but ultimately, you have the power to effectively change your life. You have the power to find your purpose. And one of the many ways you can do this is by following the 7 Levels Deep Exercise.
What Is the 7 Levels Deep Exercise?
The 7 Levels Deep Exercise is a series of deep and philosophical questions that intend to draw out hidden thoughts, feelings, and emotions from the person doing the exercise — with the end goal of leading said person to find out his or her “why” about a specific aspect of life.
The “why?” in this case can be interpreted in several ways, but ultimately, it all boils down to leading the person to find their purpose.
Why Do I Need to Find My Purpose?
Having a clear understanding of “purpose” is crucial to living a balanced, healthy, and successful life. While it may be true that success is capable of varying interpretations and can be subjected to multiple perspectives, it cannot be denied that in order to reach your version of success, having a purpose is essential. After all, how can you know if you’ve reached something if you did not know what you wanted to reach or achieve in the first place?
Purpose gives us direction — a goal to strive towards. Purpose also gives us courage. When we have a purpose and are infused with it, we will stretch our comfort zone. While in our possession, purpose also serves to dictate how we do or act in society, how we lead our lives each day, and how we view or perceive life in general.
What Is the Process?
As the name suggests, the 7 Levels Deep Exercise is done by simply asking yourself 7 questions. Companies and institutions that employ this exercise often modify and change their line of questioning in order to suit their goals and needs, but essentially, these questions boil down to the following:
- First, ask yourself what you want to do or achieve in life. At this stage, you can answer or interpret the question in any way you want to
- Second, ask yourself why this is important to you.
- Third, whatever answer you chose to give for the second step, ask yourself again why that particular response is important to you.
- Fourth, ask yourself again why that response is something that you deem important.
- Finally, do this line of questioning three more times, or otherwise, a fifth, sixth, and seventh time.
As you move along down the line — or as you go “deeper” down the levels — you may notice that these are not simple questions, and finding an answer may prove difficult. When you feel lost or become confused, don’t fret! This simply means that you are now opening the doors to your mind, to your heart, and to your emotions to paths that you most likely never knew you had. This path is a road of discovery and enlightenment, and you would be surprised what you discover as you go deeper along the journey.
What Is the Best Way To Do These Exercises?
Before you jump on this path, be aware and careful that just like any journey in life, you may become susceptible to falling into traps or pitfalls.
To minimize the risk of falling prey to these traps or pitfalls, it’s crucial that you’re completely honest with yourself. Lying about your responses benefits no one and showing off serves no important purpose. Be sincere, take your time, and do not be afraid to be too emotional about your responses. The responses need to come from your heart, not your head. The responses need to resonate with you at a visceral level.
Also, when presented with these questions, it’s best that you get someone else to ask them for you. Get a loved one, a coach, a special partner, a family member, or any other person that you trust. This way, you may find it easier to be forthright.
As you dig deeper within yourself, you may sometimes find yourself trapped in an endless loop of “whys”. If the same line of questioning becomes too repetitive to the point that your answers in all the stages are simply becoming recurrent and repetitive, then try to change your line of questioning to “what” or “how”, instead of “why”.
Finally, note that there’s no time constraint to doing this exercise. If it takes you days to answer the questions as you go deeper along the levels, then do so. The most important factor to consider is finding that mine of emotions stored deep within you that only you can find, and no one else.
Take the Next Step Further. Start Today!
In my book about “The Smartest Person in the Room”, I used the 7 Levels Deep Exercise to formulate my own methodology in creating new and improved ways on how to develop better technical leaders — a method I call “The Secure Methodology”.
Under this methodology, I outline 7 important steps that may help individuals develop better interpersonal, leadership, and life skills. In coming up with these steps, I made sure to use the 7 Levels Deep Exercise as my foundation.
You can learn more about these steps and about my Secure Methodology in my book, “The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity”, available on Amazon and other fine book stores.
