Sunday Afternoon Reflections - On Purpose

American author Robert Byrne wrote, "The purpose of life is a life of purpose." Does your life have a purpose? Do you prefer that it doesn't? Have you ever even considered what your true purpose might be? Surely you're here for a reason - after all, there is only one you, unique to your own moment of conception ...

I honestly believe that most people today simply live out their lives by chance, not really thinking all that much about where they are going or what their purpose might be. Their days are a routine of sleep, work, and whatever activities can be found to mindlessly fill the balance. Some people don't seem to care, others are too caught up in what is happening TO them to be concerned with what happens because of them, and still others choose to live in the past, dwelling on personal injustices and feeding their injuries with bitterness and egocentric desires.

I guess I sound a little cynical, and I can't argue that perhaps I am... and partly because I struggle with my own life purpose. Not that I haven't tried to figure it out - often to the point of mental exhaustion. As a spiritual being on a human journey, I believe there is much more to my existence than the attainment of "things" - in fact, there are few things in life that I would find it difficult to live without. I think, if I had to try to narrow down my purpose in life, it would be to learn and pass that knowledge on.

Divine Purpose Affirmation Giclee by MacadamiaQueen

Give me a good book, an interesting website with well written content, or the opportunity to attend a thought provoking lecture, and I am in heaven... I am always learning new ways of doing things, (much to the consternation of some of those around me), and I have this belief that there are exceptions to every rule - nothing is black and white. I love to explore possibilities, and I love to encourage others to do the same.

I can look up at the night sky and wonder if somewhere out there, on some distant planet, another life form is also looking at that faint, distant yellow star and wondering if life exists somewhere else. I can watch in wonder as a flock of geese flies overhead, the leader changing periodically, driven by natural patterning and an innate sense of direction to lead the migration. Lending support to a child or grandchild as they attempt a new skill makes me smile, especially as I see them learning their own particular way of mastering it, being privy to their sense of accomplishment - and then watching as they happily pass the skill on to a younger sibling or friend. I've witnessed the miracle of birth, the emotional pain of watching a loved one as they died, the majesty of nature's cycles of destruction and rebirth, the complexity of love, and the power of prayer. But to what purpose?

There are times I think it would be easier if we all had our life's purpose ingrained in our brains or tattooed on our bums from the moment of conception, but then I guess for those of us who take the time to consider our life's purpose, perhaps the only true way to learn of it is simply to experience what our own life's journey is.

What is your purpose? How do you hope to realize it? There is still so much for me to understand and learn - perhaps you'll provide a piece of that puzzle - please share your thoughts with a comment!

xo,