Your Purpose, Your Path, In This Lifetime
In the East, it is known as your dharma. In the West, we call it your true purpose. Are you getting closer to accomplishing your deepest desires or are they appearing to be getting farther away from you? You are here for a reason: is it just to be frustrated by how hard life gets? Is it just to feel lost trying to figure out with your mind what it is you are supposed to be doing? No! You can feel passionate and fulfilled when you shift your perspective just a few degrees. Your heart already knows why you are here. Your mind could wander forever, endlessly seeking rather than purposefully choosing. The easiest way to discover your true purpose is to begin trying new things out and noticing your results.
Your passions are already in you. They are uniquely yours. They are intimate with your true purpose. We can become benumbed by the frustrations of life which appear to want to squelch our deepest desires, our most profound passions. I shifted my life years ago when I gave up my business as a Mr. Fixit jack-of-all-trades, to focus more on my long term work as a practitioner of the healing arts (I was nationally certified by NCBTMB in 1992). I enjoyed the handyman work, but it was not my true purpose, it was not my passion. Healing takes many forms. I was a licensed massage therapist from 1991 - 1996. In June of 1996, I had one of the most profound experiences of my life when I attended a weekend seminar specific to a meditative technique, and on account of that experience, committed to becoming a teacher of that technique. And since then I have incorporated the knowledge and mechanisms of a master from India who is dedicated to creating masters of ancient science and wisdom, much of which is consistent with teachings of masters from the West. There have been challenges, and I have not turned back.
Your essence of your life is evolving on account of your struggles. Your capacity to literally turn negative situations into positive ones is literally the creation of “small” miracles. Helping another person to get through a challenging day or a challenging event in their life is, in my world, a miracle. When your friend is sliding into sadness or despair, and you lift them up with your loving, compassionate kindness, that, in my world, is a miracle. When I helped a client with symptoms that were moving her towards a $5000 cat scan to help diagnose her situation, and she got 100% permanent relief of all of her symptoms from one treatment from me, that was a miracle. And I remember, always, that I am not the doer of those miracles. Those miracles move through me and through you on account of your and my choices, and I always remember, with intention, to give thanks to the divine source of the miracle. I am not the doer.
Consider what you are already doing. Are you getting what you want? Do you even know what it is you most deeply want? Do you know your true purpose? Hint: no is an OK answer. If no is your answer, you are NOT alone. We are trained in the West to follow the guidance of the monkey between our ears. You are lucky if your monkey mind has helped you to find out what your true purpose is. No doubt your heart was involved, whether you know it or not. And, your soul was also involved, whether even you believe in your soul or not. I know the light will go on when I turn the switch. I am not an electrical engineer. I don’t need to know all the mechanisms. They still are at work, regardless of whether I believe they are or not. So it is with your heart and your soul.
In practice, finding your purpose requires intention, and commitment. We become numb and we become desperate for a deeper connection to our life and to the world around us, because we have not been taught how to achieve that connection and how to establish a sense of personal purpose. Our schooling regrettably fails to include this invaluable training. Success in finding and then implementing your true purpose will include input from your heart and your soul, even if you are not consciously aware of that input. Since your mind is such a wonderful servant [horrible master, mastery comes from your heart and soul], then when your heart is engaged, it will inform your mind and you can then live your life with the passion and clarity of focus that comes from knowing your life’s purpose.
Your heart thrives on connection. Your heart can lead your mind to knowing what your next step is, and the next step after that, until you get to the doorway that opens your knowing of your true purpose. Put one foot in front of the other, try something new, do it, and notice how your world responds: your inner world and your outer world. Does it bring you joy? Do you feel passionate about it? Is your world responding in a positive way? Is there a knowing in you that is growing? Is there movement from your heart pushing you to do more of that?
And, know this: you will be tested. What may seem like more challenges may actually be the work required to master the process of living your life from the foundation of your true purpose. Your heart will know, and your mind has the potential to sabotage that knowing. Learning to discern between the true voice of your heart and the mimicking of your heart’s voice by your monkey mind is truly a worthwhile learning curve to master. Mastery of that learning curve requires intention and commitment, as before. And, you are not meant to do it alone. Let your heart inform you about finding the best help you can find. Your life depends on it.