Many years ago, my dad bought four monkey grass plants. My mom always wanted a windmill in her front yard, so my dad bought her one and set it up. Then, at the base of each of the four metal legs of the windmill, he planted a monkey grass plant.

Over the years, that monkey grass has spread out further and further into the yard. When it gets too far, I dig most of it out and move it somewhere else on my property. Now, what started as those four plants now forms rings around most of the trees in my yard and runs the whole length of my sidewalk.

I'm thinking a lot about monkey grass because I spent my whole day Friday moving some. I have a small, half-dead weeping peach tree in the front yard that was ringed with the leafy plant. I didn't want to destroy the monkey grass when I cut the tree down in a few days, so I dug it up and moved it to other places in the yard.

When I was done, I walked around my yard to make sure everything was well watered, and I realized just how much monkey grass I have now. I never would have imagined that those first four plants would become so much.

That's the thing about life. Often, our greatest accomplishments come from the tiniest actions. My dad had no intention in planting those first plants other than to put some greenery at the base of the windmill. And yet now, monkey grass borders so many things in my yard.

All of this got me thinking about purpose. Often we chase a purpose, thinking that we know what it should be, and then feel defeated when we can't reach that goal. But often, our greatest purpose is like the monkey grass. It's our job just to grow, and as we do, our example can help others along the way.

This week in the Positivity Club, we're focusing on purpose. Finding your purpose is not as hard as you may think, and we're going to find a way to yours this week. Part one is below.

Some exciting news to wrap up today: I'm finally publishing the second book in the Positivity Club series! This one is called Another 30 Days of Positivity, and it goes live on Amazon on August 19th. Here's the best part: you can pre-order it now for just $0.99 for the Kindle version and $7.99 for the paperback. (That's $5 less than it will be after the book goes live.)

As I type this, there are two small hiccups. One, the cover image is not showing on Amazon. Two, the paperback is not showing as available. I’ve been assured that both issues will be corrected in a day or two.

When I published the first book, 30 Days of Positivity, I hoped to have this one out within a few months, but then I hit a mental wall and just couldn't do it. So, I'm excited to finally be giving this out to you and get to work on the next book.

Are you pursuing a goal that feels like it's taking forever? Don't give up. Every tiny step forward is progress, and it will eventually get you where you want to go. Those monkey grass roots grew with no one noticing, so celebrate even the things no one else sees. Have an amazing week.

Until next time, keep fighting.

Scott Ninneman

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Let's Talk About Your Purpose

Every year working in my flower gardens, I learn something new. This year, for the very first time, I tried growing monkey grass (Liriope) from a seed. Last fall, I carefully collected dozens of black seeds, placed them on a damp paper towel in a zipper bag, and then put them in the freezer.

Everything I read online said you should plant them outside in February, so that's what I did. With planters made from gallon water jugs, I carefully placed the seeds in a damp seed-starting mix. And then I waited. And waited. And waited some more. In fact, I was tempted to just dump out the containers completely when I finally saw a hint of green at the end of May.

What I thought was a complete failure has become a triumph, because nearly every seed I planted has sprouted. (Unlike the Zinnia and Black-Eyed Susan seeds that were a disaster.)

My adventure with monkey grass this year has me thinking about purpose. It's so easy to get overwhelmed by the pressure of finding your purpose that sometimes you feel like you don't have any purpose at all. That lack of purpose can make you feel like you have no value, but that's the furthest thing from the truth.

Purpose doesn't have to be some grand expression of your goals. The thing that most people don't talk about is that you can have more than one purpose, and your purpose can change over time.

In a flower garden, every seed is different. The monkey grass seeds are larger, like dried peas, while the impatiens seeds were so small that I lost most of them because of my shaking hands, but both had the ability to grow into a beautiful plant.

This week, we're going to focus on the value of finding your purpose and understanding how it's not necessarily a concrete thing. For today, though, I want you to think about what you would say if someone asked you, “What is your purpose?

Truthfully, that's a question I struggled with for a long time. When I finally realized that my primary purpose was to encourage others, I stopped chasing the mile-high goals. It's a huge driving force behind the Positivity Club and the Speaking Bipolar site.

The period I struggled with purpose was my freezer experience. I was a seed, stuck in the cold, until I found a place to grow. You can do the same even if you feel frozen right now. Your spring will come.

Think about your purpose–the thing you feel like you were meant to do–and explore it in your journal today. We'll talk more about purpose in tomorrow's post. See you then.

Journal Prompt:

What is one small, quiet activity that makes you feel useful or grounded today?

Additional Reading from SpeakingBipolar.com:

• ​3 Simple Steps To Conquer Your Fears​
• ​Bipolar Disorder and What It Means To Eat the Frog​
• ​Why You Need to Learn to Like Yourself​
• ​You May Have a Shorter Life Span Because of Bipolar Disorder​
• ​Archive Newsletters​