Life offers us countless directions to travel each and every day. Which direction do you choose? Having something to focus on, something that gives meaning to our actions is critical to our overall success and happiness. Our minds are like onions: we have many different layers of consciousness driving our decision making and state of mind. If we are lacking the completion of having something greater than ourselves to work or look forward towards, then we feel misaligned with what we are doing. Our day to day tasks no longer seem meaningful, like we are hamsters of a treadmill. It's only when our actions add up to some greater purpose that we feel accomplished in crossing off tasks from our checklist.
Imagine an ant carrying a seed. If the ant is not heading towards his colony, then he is wasting is energy. It does not matter how fast he travels or how many miles he can endure if the task if ineffective. To just carry the seed is meaningless out of context: it is the ant's ability to provide for his kin that makes the labor worthwhile.
Higher purpose is a physiological and psychological corner stone. Going to work for eight hours to do a job you've done for years can be tedious. Yet, when we do that to support our family, the routine feels justified and we feel motivated to keep carrying on. Even when we are faced with something excruciating, having a purpose makes it tame by comparison.
Beyond being a means to push through our workload, having a defined purpose for our day lets us better organize our thoughts, actions, and intentions. To not have a purpose is like being a chicken with its head cut off. When we know where we want to end up, we can consolidate our efforts to mindfully keep heading in that direction.
This extends well beyond just the current day as well. The inner-most layers of our onion-like mind resonate with our cosmic purpose. What are we doing in this life? We certainly came here for some reason; if we are out of alignment with our core purpose, every aspect of our lives feels out of whack. Even doing the same things we otherwise would be doing are made easier when we have the peace of mind that comes from knowing our actions are building towards something greater.
If you do not have any idea of what your purpose is, for today or otherwise, do not fret! It is common to not know where we are supposed to end up. We come to this life without knowledge intentionally to be lost in the mystery of finding ourselves again. Rejoice that you still have the full wonder of discovery ahead of you!
To find our purpose, we must first know ourselves. We must pierce the outer layers of our soul which our culture and society have defined for us and perceive our authentic self purely. This is accomplished through experience. If we have not discerned our purpose through our previous experiences, then we must branch out and experience more of ourselves. We need to take chances and get messy! The answers we seek are there, we only need to be bold enough to take the steps out of our comfort zone to find them. If that seems daunting, relax and make a commitment to doing one novel thing today. As we keep treading new territory, the unknown becomes less and less intimidating. In time, pushing our boundaries will transform and empower us.
It takes time to find the authentic self, but it does happen! When we do not have the alignment to our higher selves, we never know what type of experience we beget that knowledge. The best strategy is to keep rolling the dice until something new clicks, and suddenly everything becomes clear. “Of course this is what I'm suppose to do,” you might say. Once we know our purpose, it seems so obvious in hindsight. And with that knowledge, we can shape our days to be fulfilling, meaningful, and heading in a mindful direction.
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Great writing and again very inspiring! Loving you brother!