14 May Discovering Our Purpose…an “Inside Job”?

“Each person comes into this world with a specific destiny–he has something to fulfill, some message has to be delivered, some work has to be completed. You are not here accidentally–you are here meaningfully. There is a purpose behind you. The whole intends to do something through you.”

― Osho

Underneath the busy complexity of modern life with work deadlines, relationship challenges, family commitments and much more, often runs a small but persistent voice calling out, longing for the moments in our life to matter.

Why is it so difficult to feel our life has meaning, that we can discover a powerful purpose for being here? Why, rather than feeling that our lives are rich and abundant with meaning, do we turn to food, internet, or even the newest self-help book to look for the answer; to look for something outside of ourselves to fill the inner sense that something vital within us is missing?

It often feels we have confused a busy life for living a fulfilling life – we create so many ways to fill our time, minds, and energy – and these activities take us outside of ourselves. What if an important part of discovering our purpose is actually an “inside job”; a journey to discover the internal barriers that keep us from connecting deeply with ourselves, others, and the world around us? Those barriers frequently include feeling isolated, not believing in our strength or that we are capable of making a difference, and the fear that our voice, ideas, or feelings don’t matter.

In the recognition of the fragility of our lives and the longing for change is a beautiful wake-up call, asking us to search for a sense of meaning and purpose.

The Path of Love is a rare opportunity to discover the barriers in life to feeling our meaning, to trusting our voice, to listening to the whispers of our heart, and feeling strength in our body. It is a process that reconnects us to the wisdom that is present inside our very body, and once we are reconnected we come into a powerful place of congruence. I’ve always loved the word “congruence” and it’s Latin root meaning “agreeing, meeting together” – our mind, heart and body once again meeting and agreeing. And out of the richness of this congruence we can really come to know our powerful purpose and transform our life. We become our own unique person, connected to our own energy and building meaning in life through deep connections with others. There can never be another person like you. Your journey to discovering and expressing whatever is your specific destiny is the greatest gift you can give, both to yourself and the world.

“Be yourself. Everyone else is taken” ~ Oscar Wilde

Our life’s purpose isn’t something we can find from reading a book or listening to a talk – it can only be discovered by going into our depths, being present with ourselves, and feeling our own worthiness. In this we have the possibility of forging a whole new sense and understanding of our life. This leads to true transformation and the ability to embrace our life, our struggles, and to see the beauty within ourselves and in the world around us.

 
 

This article is the 1st of a 3 part series, written by Prema McKeever (M.S., SEP), on finding your purpose and meaning in life. Her next article will discuss ways to overcome doubts and to discover ways to increase your sense of self-worth.