PURPOSE

 

IF YOU ASKED ME WHAT I CAME INTO THIS WORLD TO DO, 

I WILL TELL YOU. 

I CAME TO LIVE OUT LOUD.
-Emile Zola

We are all passionate beings by nature.  Unfortunately, some of us have learned to hide it very well or continually douse water on the flame.  Yet, Passion is woven into human DNA.  We always, always have the opportunity to re-ignite the smoldering embers.  Purpose and Passion are dancing partners in life.  

To express our  sheer exultation in living  – the unlimited power that comes from following your own unique star – that’s what makes people who shine their Light irresistible to us.

One of the common threads that bind us all is our courage to live.  It is this courage to go one step farther, to search for the other half of ourselves.  We have the courage to ask:  “Why am I here?”  “Isn’t there more?”  “Is this all there is?”

THE BASIS OF LIFE IS ABSOLUTE FREEDOM

THE OBJECTIVE OF LIFE IS ABSOLUTE JOY

THE RESULT OF LIFE IS ABSOLUTE GROWTH

– Abraham-Hicks

There are those among us who are never afraid to love and be who they are from Source - to explore the answers to these questions with their whole Soul; no matter what the cost.  Think:  Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Sister Theresa, Brave Heart, Joan of Arc, Black Elk, Galileo, even Oprah!  Throughout our human history, the epic “stars” who live among us love life with their whole Soul! 

EMOTION IS THE CHIEF SOURCE OF ALL BECOMING-CONSCIOUSNESS – CARL JUNG

Often, we have to overcome fear to discover Purpose.  We have to persevere through layers and layers of experiential pain and rejection to do that.  Despite loneliness. Despite volatile emotions such as  insecurity, rage, and disappointment.  Despite our longings for more money and things.  We always, always have the opportunity to reframe our lives and reach for hopefulness, positive expectation, belief, empowerment; to feel the passion of life all around us whether by…  Well, I have to find a favorite Emerson quote and insert here because it distills the essence of human purpose.  Here it is:

WHAT IS SUCCESS?

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s response to this question:

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

If we want to capture the incandescence of “who we really are” and “what we’re here to do” we must learn to listen to our Soul, our Source. 

YOUR PURPOSE BECOMES CLEAR WHEN YOU LEARN HOW TO LOOK INSIDE YOUR HEART

YOUR VISION WILL BECOME CLEAR ONLY WHEN YOU LOOK INTO YOUR HEART

Powerful questions serve as a spectacular gateway to the authentic heart.  In Jack Canfield’s wonderful little book KEY to Living the Law of Attraction he offers compelling exercises and questions:

1.  Start by making a list of all the times you can remember in your life that have made you feel the most truly alive and joyful.

2.  Finish this sentence:  THE TIMES I HAVE FELT THE MOST ALIVE AND JOYFUL… Then, looking closely at this list, ask yourself what each of these experiences has in common.  Make note of it.  This common element is an indication of what brings you joy…and what brings you joy is an indication of your life purpose.

3.  What are my natural gifts?

4.  What are my skills and talents?

5.  What are my personal strengths and characteristics?

6.  What do I love to do?

7.  When do I feel the most alive? (One of my favorite questions!)

8.  What am I passionate about?

9.  When do I feel the best about myself?  (Another favorite!)

10.  What have others said that I am really good at?

11.  How do I most enjoy interacting with other people?

12.  What would I change in the world if I could?

Discovering and refining “Purpose” is so critical to successful living. I know respected Thought Leaders who have dedicated their entire business to this art and science.  You may already know their work but here are three of my top picks:

1.  Tim Kelley: Know Your Purpose  

2.  Jeffrey Van Dyke:  Lever-Edge.com  

3.  Jay Niblick: Inner Metrix & What's Your Genius

Jay’s work introduced me to The DISC Index – which is astoundingly accurate and I recommend it. The Innermetrix DISC Index is a modern interpretation of Dr. William Marston’s behavioral dimensions.  Marston’s research uncovered four quadrants of behavior which help to understand a person’s behavioral preferences.  This Disc Index helps a person understand their behavioral style and how to maximize their potential.

Oh!  We can be so rich with this life.  We need to consciously practice, every day, what I call “Gratitude-Awareness” for this earthly encounter. We are spiritual, electro-magnetic energy beings having a physical experience on a planet so profoundly beautiful or ugly it often brings us to tears.

Metaphorically, each of us is like our planet Earth.  Water, magnetic polarity and energy are our essence. We are spherical in nature with both a light and dark side.  As we rotate through our experiences, we have the ability to offer ourselves within infinite gradations. To one person we may be pure “light.”  To another we may be “dark.”  To ourselves we are often both.  It all depends on where we are on our rotational axis.  There is a magnificent glory in this. Our vibrational frequency and resonance correspond to the circular nature of existence.

THE POWER OF THE WORLD ALWAYS WORKS IN CIRCLES.

-Black Elk

Navigare necesse est, vivere non necesse

TO SET SAIL SOMEWHERE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN LIFE ITSELF.

-Isak Dinesen

Discovering our “Purpose” is to set sail.  As with life, it is a journey not a destination.  To fulfill our “Purpose” we must believe in ourselves and have the courage to act upon it.  Our courage is often contagious.  We may be aware of this fact or not.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.   We were born to make manifest the glory of the Universe that is within us.  It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone.  And as we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give people permission to do the same. – Marianne Williamson

Each of us has the capacity to learn to speak from our hearts, for nurturing ourselves and others; for creating a place where people can feel safe, comfortable, peaceful and inspired.  The yin and yang of this Truth is sourced in our ability to survive struggle.  Without struggle we could not appreciate serenity.   Humans are hard-wired in a way that does not allow for full-blown awareness without being tested.  This is what we do in pursuit of “Purpose” – we struggle to convey love, pain, suffering, and triumph.  It takes guts, determination, stamina, focused thinking and perpetual learning. 

If we are to understand and discover true “Purpose” we must peel back the layers of our emotional landscape, converse with Source and travel to the core of our passions.  We must listen to our own voice when it cries out, “Oh, I love that!  I want to do that!” Pursuing our Purpose and our Dreams is the ultimate adventure.  There are times this quest gets buried under the layers of simply surviving and this journey can diminish our Spirit.  Sometimes we lock-up our true desires in our hearts as something dangerous and forbidden.  It is our mission to dare that danger; to give ourselves permission and set our desires free.

NO COWARD SOUL IS MINE – Emily Bronte