by Rob Brookler
Life seems almost perfectly arranged to keep us guessing as to why we are here... about our role, our place, in this world.
At one moment the problems of the wider world seem to call to us with the greatest extreme importance. In the next, these disappear as we're called to our own extremely important needs. The amazing (challenging things accomplished or completed) of others can motivate us (with an idea), exciting our deepest wishes -- and at the same time confuse us, fearing we can never approach such mastery. And when we see so many struggling to find their way, how can we feel certain of our own?
The answer is that, for almost all us, we will not be certain. Nor should we expect to be.
Growing into our role
Why should we not expect to sense clearly our life purpose? Because this "purpose" is a direct, natural extension of who we are... and few, if any of us, enter this life complete in this realization. In fact, few of us gain this realization before living a very great deal of our life. Our gifts, our deeper interests, our strengths, and our wholeness grow and "unfold" only with time. And these are the foundations and keys to our greater purpose in life.
In a more perfect, more neat/ well-organized/ well-behaved world, we would maybe complete this basic learning and growth first -- before we choose our path in the world and try to satisfy our role in it. But since, in this world, these two processes change (and get better) at the same time/together, we must be prepared to move/travel forward with some doubt... and with some faith that we will discover both our purpose and ourselves as part of this process.
We will define our path
So we should not feel discouraged or off-track because we don't now sense our "mission" in life. Nor should we feel unsupported or uncertain/not definite because the world is not beating a path to our door. (opposite from what's expected), often the best cure (for poison or disease) for feeling a bit "lost" is simply to begin. Often we must simply step out upon a path or an effort even though we're not certain it's the "correct" one. And a little bit only byproceeding do we begin to "attract" the learning and support we will need to continue and finish.
This is not to say that we should not form some kind of plan, a meant purpose, and goal before beginning an effort. But, because of the nature of creation, it's often only by acting that our path and purpose begin to take shape. We must be like the painter who with his first brush stroke may have an idea of the final work, but cannot yet see its complete form.
Like the painter, we must also be prepared to re-(figure out the worth, amount, or quality of) our direction as we go and (change to make better/change to fit new conditions) or even change our course. We will make mistakes. We will have setbacks. But these challenges and course-corrections actually play a very important role in defining our path... and in developing the personal skills and the balance extremely important for our success down the line. They are part of the process. So hitting a dead-end or detour here and there should not discourage us.
Getting off on the right foot
There is, however, one common hidden trap we should try to avoid from the start.
Certainly, in chasing after our purpose, we hope to experience greater (getting what is wanted) and a deeper sense of value in our life. But to the extent we're trying to prove our worth and give a good reason for our value, our pursuit can lead us a bit away from what's right.
Though a powerful reason for doing something, the belief that we're basically and mostly unworthy or "not enough" is anyway a wounded belief. And try as we may, we will find it very hard to create enough external "success" and validation to answer this false belief. We'll find it very hard to prove false outside what we secretly believe inside. So, rather than "serve" that false, wounded belief, we must heal it.
In a lucky way, the most direct and natural way to heal this wounded belief and recover our true sense of worth is in chasing after what we love: in doing what speaks to our heart. The honor/difference here is that this (getting what is wanted) and true and positive statement comes mostly with the doing of this thing, rather than external reaction.
This is not to say that we should not enjoy and take happiness (from meeting a need or reaching a goal) from our "successes" and admissions/responses/recognitions. But we can only prove false - or more exactly "displace" - the wounded belief about our value by reawakening our true, born-in sense of value beneath it. The wounded belief separates us from our true self; a full heart reconnects us with it.
A good starting point
Not (two things happening together by accident), chasing after what we love will always keep us on the path of our larger purpose. So, this quality should mark our starting place. The pursuit we love today may change (and get better) into a different pursuit we love more deeply later, but we cannot go away from what's right when what we do (gives food to/keeps alive) our heart and being.
If you're not sure what you love and where your gifts reside, you may have to experiment a bit in order to discover this. As noted earlier, this trying things that sometimes did not work is part of the process and should not discourage us.
And if you're looking for a good starting point in chasing after your purpose, here's a hint. Look for what is finest in within you, and chase after this.
Life seems almost perfectly arranged to keep us guessing as to why we are here... about our role, our place, in this world.
At one moment the problems of the wider world seem to call to us with the greatest extreme importance. In the next, these disappear as we're called to our own extremely important needs. The amazing (challenging things accomplished or completed) of others can motivate us (with an idea), exciting our deepest wishes -- and at the same time confuse us, fearing we can never approach such mastery. And when we see so many struggling to find their way, how can we feel certain of our own?
The answer is that, for almost all us, we will not be certain. Nor should we expect to be.
Growing into our role
Why should we not expect to sense clearly our life purpose? Because this "purpose" is a direct, natural extension of who we are... and few, if any of us, enter this life complete in this realization. In fact, few of us gain this realization before living a very great deal of our life. Our gifts, our deeper interests, our strengths, and our wholeness grow and "unfold" only with time. And these are the foundations and keys to our greater purpose in life.
In a more perfect, more neat/ well-organized/ well-behaved world, we would maybe complete this basic learning and growth first -- before we choose our path in the world and try to satisfy our role in it. But since, in this world, these two processes change (and get better) at the same time/together, we must be prepared to move/travel forward with some doubt... and with some faith that we will discover both our purpose and ourselves as part of this process.
We will define our path
So we should not feel discouraged or off-track because we don't now sense our "mission" in life. Nor should we feel unsupported or uncertain/not definite because the world is not beating a path to our door. (opposite from what's expected), often the best cure (for poison or disease) for feeling a bit "lost" is simply to begin. Often we must simply step out upon a path or an effort even though we're not certain it's the "correct" one. And a little bit only byproceeding do we begin to "attract" the learning and support we will need to continue and finish.
This is not to say that we should not form some kind of plan, a meant purpose, and goal before beginning an effort. But, because of the nature of creation, it's often only by acting that our path and purpose begin to take shape. We must be like the painter who with his first brush stroke may have an idea of the final work, but cannot yet see its complete form.
Like the painter, we must also be prepared to re-(figure out the worth, amount, or quality of) our direction as we go and (change to make better/change to fit new conditions) or even change our course. We will make mistakes. We will have setbacks. But these challenges and course-corrections actually play a very important role in defining our path... and in developing the personal skills and the balance extremely important for our success down the line. They are part of the process. So hitting a dead-end or detour here and there should not discourage us.
Getting off on the right foot
There is, however, one common hidden trap we should try to avoid from the start.
Certainly, in chasing after our purpose, we hope to experience greater (getting what is wanted) and a deeper sense of value in our life. But to the extent we're trying to prove our worth and give a good reason for our value, our pursuit can lead us a bit away from what's right.
Though a powerful reason for doing something, the belief that we're basically and mostly unworthy or "not enough" is anyway a wounded belief. And try as we may, we will find it very hard to create enough external "success" and validation to answer this false belief. We'll find it very hard to prove false outside what we secretly believe inside. So, rather than "serve" that false, wounded belief, we must heal it.
In a lucky way, the most direct and natural way to heal this wounded belief and recover our true sense of worth is in chasing after what we love: in doing what speaks to our heart. The honor/difference here is that this (getting what is wanted) and true and positive statement comes mostly with the doing of this thing, rather than external reaction.
This is not to say that we should not enjoy and take happiness (from meeting a need or reaching a goal) from our "successes" and admissions/responses/recognitions. But we can only prove false - or more exactly "displace" - the wounded belief about our value by reawakening our true, born-in sense of value beneath it. The wounded belief separates us from our true self; a full heart reconnects us with it.
A good starting point
Not (two things happening together by accident), chasing after what we love will always keep us on the path of our larger purpose. So, this quality should mark our starting place. The pursuit we love today may change (and get better) into a different pursuit we love more deeply later, but we cannot go away from what's right when what we do (gives food to/keeps alive) our heart and being.
If you're not sure what you love and where your gifts reside, you may have to experiment a bit in order to discover this. As noted earlier, this trying things that sometimes did not work is part of the process and should not discourage us.
And if you're looking for a good starting point in chasing after your purpose, here's a hint. Look for what is finest in within you, and chase after this.
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