Thursday, August 4, 2011

Got Purpose?

Got Purpose?

Have you ever met someone and watched in awe as their life just seemingly fell into place?  The right job came along, the right living arrangement, the right partner, the right child, the right opportunity to rock it?  Some people describe this as being "in the flow" and some people describe it as being "damn lucky."  Most of us have had glimpses of what life can be like when it unfolds this way but that's it--a glimpse and then its gone and it feels like we are back to trudging uphill, knocking on a closed door, shouting always louder and still never being heard.  I don't think that flow or luck have much to do with this phenomena of rightness--in my experience a beautiful life takes blood, sweat, tears and a lot of hands on, do it yourself work. The people around me who objectively have the best lives revel in their lives--they love life and they love the way that they live it.  There is a word for that feeling--purpose.  Living in a world undergirded by ritual and a belief in the unseen (as I do), it is common and easy to chalk up frustration to bad juju, crossed conditions, jinxes, and bad luck.  I believe in those things more than most--I have seen first hand how they can screw things up BUT I see and talk to more people suffering from a lack of purpose and experiencing frustrations, blocks, and obstacles because of that as opposed to bad juju.  A friend of mine who is a reader herself and I were talking several weeks ago--she posed the question--how do you know that you are on the right path, that you are doing the right work?  Then she answered her question--because your life works for you!  If you feel like your life is working against you and you have prayed, cleansed, fasted, and prayed some more but don't feel improvement then what you may be looking for is your purpose.  I believe that each and every soul on this planet is unique and uniquely gifted.  You can do something with more grace, beauty and perfection than anyone else can--your job is to figure out what that something is and nail it.  And this doesn't mean that you quit your day job so that you can go find yourself--it means that you look at your job, your work, your family and ask yourself--what am I bringing to the table here?  What are the people around me bringing to the table?  Is this the best that we can do?  Is it the best I can do?  Then be honest with yourself.  If you are doing your best and your life still isn't working something needs to change.  Confucius and Jesus both recommended when making changes that individuals begin with themselves--only after your own house is in order should you go around trying to mess with other people's houses.  What do you need to do to put your house in order?  If you are not doing your best--then why?  Is it because your lazy?  You don't care?  You are trying but somehow not getting there?  You need support?  Inspiration?  Satisfaction?  Accolades?  These are the questions that can help you point yourself in the right direction, the direction of YOUR work and YOUR purpose--the work you are supposed to do and the reason why you are here, on the planet, right now.

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