This is part one of a ten-part series of articles.
“What is my life purpose?” you ask.
Do you REALLY want to go there? I answer.
You see, once you are in this question, really in it… well, nothing will ever be the same. And help you if you find it, because then you will be consumed in the fire of it.
Do you really want to find that thing that will pull you forward into the passion of your existence? Will you have the courage to keep your heart open to it no matter what?
Yes? Ah, good. Now let us begin the journey…
What do you want to be when you grow up, little Susie, or Johnny or Sallie or Joe?
First, it’s important to realize that your life purpose may not be adequately described in any job title. Your purpose may not be to be a marketing executive for Starbucks, or a director of nursing at Lutheran General, or a postal worker, or a coach. Your purpose will likely transcend such labels. It is more likely that it will manifest itself as the theme around which the whole of your life will be organized.
Margaret Wheatley suggests that just as modern science has discovered “strange attractors” that pull chaotic particles of energy into an organized whole, it is the sense meaning in our lives that provides the framework for our personal journeys. Our life purpose, for those who attune themselves to uncovering it, is the magnetic force which pulls the choices of our lives in a cohesive direction. Now, it is a question for the Ages whether the meaning of one’s life is predetermined and delivered to us by the Universe, or whether we create it for ourselves. I don’t know that it matters. The bottom line is: You don’t find your purpose, it finds you. The trick is to keep the clutter out of the way so that you can recognize it when it does.
Article comments
1 - elsa
The link in your author bio to your website does not work. :)
2 - Laura Young
Oops. Html glitch. All fixed now. Come on over!
3 - Shari
I think part of the problem is asking this question at different stages of life is bound to elicit different answers. As we look back over our lives, we always can see how our perspective was limited when we were younger. After awhile, you realize that no matter how old you are, your perspective is still limited.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't ask the question. It's important to do so. It just means that your purpose will continually change as you learn more about life and have life-altering experiences.
Personally, I think the more important question is, "what kind of person do you want to be". Purpose will follow that answer and it's relatively unrelated to whatever work you pursue. You can exercise your personal character goals in nearly any environment.
4 - Laura Young
Excellent comment, Shari.
What I have found working with my clients the last several years is that too often even though we continue to evolve many people have an extraordinarily hard time giving themselves permission to let their lives reflect that evolution, particularly if it implies a career change. Often there are many practical reasons for this...kids in college, a mortgage, pay differentials.
I could not agree with you more that once you start to open up to this question of purpose you may well see your evolution taking you many new places. It isn't like you get clarity when you turn 40 and have any better bead on who you will be at 60, or even 50 simply because you are older. That issue of who you are vs. what you do is huge and will absolutely be a theme you will see come through in this article series as well as future articles in this column.
Once we get past some of the conceptual framework here on issues like you have pointed out, I'll be getting deeper into the issues of how one may actually take some of the actions that will line you up with the flow of one's own evolution.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to give more context to this feature series!
L