Ever wonder what you were doing here? I mean besides the massive question of why we were created

As I sat in my office early one Monday morning, struggling to become aware of my surroundings on some level, the question came to mind. I considered for a moment, my purpose for being there, and something made me look beyond the money, the job, the clients, the product, and the building to see something deeper.

Recently, a hurricane destroyed much of the culture, the history, the jobs, not to mention homes and lives leaving us to wonder --- what is the purpose?

To the tune of Counting Flowers by the Statler Brothers, I breathed a sigh of relief and understood the purpose of my business, my life, my family, and my own reality

Just Because.

Just because --- if I wasnt working, living, playing with my children, learning, what would I be doing?

Looking around, I found my purpose. I found that what makes me happy, content, and fills me with joy is what I do. I run my business because it gives me joy. I play with my children because hearing them laugh brings me joy. I live my life the way I choose because it brings joy to my heart.

Joy is my purpose.

It is my purpose for living, working, family life, rebuilding after a crisis, learning, recreating, and all that we do. When we discover the deep abiding joy of fulfillment and pursue that which brings true joy to our hearts, we understand that the purpose of what we do is deeper than just whatever happens on the surface. The joy abides inside each of us, dwelling and moving us to action at any given moment, leading us forward to greater accomplishments and deeper fulfillment.

What brings you joy? What purpose drives you forward? Where would you be, if you werent where you are?

Copyright 2005 Jan Verhoeff

Jan Verhoeff

Somewhere between college and life, Jan began to focus on other people. Her intense need to feel accomplishment in her life drove her to finding a deeper contentment than just existing in the hoot 'n holler of southeastern Colorado. While the beauty of the prairie never escaped her eye for color and beauty, the intensity of her desire kept her moving ever onward.

Summers in Michigan and Tennessee brought her closer to something, but it wasn't until much later, as an adult, mother of four that she began to understand that her need for accomplishment included sharing what she had learned along the way. It also meant that her talent for painting the dream and writing her thoughts had a lot to do with her accomplishments.

She began to focus on actually writing down her thoughts and ideas in journals, revealing her prayer thoughts and life events. Bits of paper became treasures of memory, and a notebook became an outlet of hope and a step of faith. Jan put her thoughts on paper, and began to publish them, where she found opportunity, including various magazines, trade journals, and local publications. Her interests in business and new enterprise became a resounding outlet for her talent, and wisdom for those who sought it. Jan's interest in business development became her trademark, resulting in her first book publication in !992, "Building a Business: From Scratch". This 22 page booklet was published by a local printer in a vertical brochure format, selling more than a thousand copies nation wide. It has resurfaced in college classes as the basis for college term papers, graduate thesis, and research documents for small business courses over the past 13 years.

Seeking more diverse outlets for her talents, Jan most recently has written several short stories published in various books, including: "Stories for the Trail" with the Lamar Writer's Group, "Prickly Points of Life" a combination poetry/short story collection of Jan's work, and "Coffee Clatter" a bound collection of written works originally published in a newsletter published by her daughter, Brenna, as a Sophomore Year Project when she was homeschooling at Buchanan Academy.

More recently her work is available in a newsletter she publishes weekly via email, and various blogs listed on the right side of this page.

You may contact Jan at: janverhoeff@yahoo.com