Really enjoyed this - purpose is a topic I think about often and until recently very much felt the weight of 'out there'. I've come to appreciate the reframe from seeking a purpose to living purposefully - moving with a sense of intentionality. For me that's come through connecting to who I really am and who I want to be for those I love then focusing on the expression of that in the little moments.
Within that there's a sense of agency and it's alleviated the gravitas of 'purpose'. Thank you for putting this out in the world - it's such an impactful conversation.
I understand the quest for purpose and also the answer.
We, as humans, are always looking for perfection in our lives. We seem to believe that if we achieve a better job, more money, we can buy better things, bigger house,
a newer car then we'll be happier, but, this is not the answer. This is not what God wants for us. God wants us to love Him and to love others. In this way we will love ourselves much more and this is our purpose. By living this way you will achieve happiness, trust, peace and success. God is on your side... trust Him.
I cannot love this post more. I will read it a few times to let it really sink in. I am 56 years old this month and I am still asking the question, who am I?
“what you’re really looking for—and what you’ve always been looking for—is how to be the truest expression of your Self.”
⬆️ That!
Since childhood I have delivered the perfect child, sister, adolescent, working adult, and I have failed to express who I really am.
Not being myself has caused anxiety, depression, and failure in specific areas of my life. It make me sad to think about it now. I often think: Is it too late to course correct?
Sometimes I wonder if I am afraid or embarrassed by who I really am, so I keep that part of Corrie hidden from view. I am not even sure how to express all of me.
I love the analogy of burning the ancestral ships. Yep, that’s what I gotta do. Burn ‘em down , baby, and rebuild.
I recently posted in Facebook that I am working towards starting my life over - from a different perspective. I am going to let the real me be the architect and builder.
Thank you so much for this. It is what I needed to start off this weekend.
I agree, Maggie. Since coming to know Jesus Christ I have come to know and understand who I am, and my purpose - to glorify God with my life. This life is temporary- a vapour but we do have an eternal soul, and I am so grateful for God's redeeming love ❤️❤️
I'm certainly drawn to The Rewilded Soul. My purpose, I feel, is to help others through writing. In books, competition is fierce. The sea of blogs and articles is dizzying (I'm here through a recommendation by Jeff Goins). Evidence of my writing having helped anyone is so sparse as to beg the question, "What's the point?" Yet one topic in particular on which I write is both important and in the news daily - nearly always presented incorrectly.
As a Self being a creature of mountains, woodlands, and waterfalls in pursuit of farming, ranching, and writing, I feel I am aware of my Purpose, but the goal of helping others has thus far fallen flat, with small bits of accomplishment here and there. Dislike of self-promotion is a common drawback for writers, many of whom prefer to live a quiet, introverted life. I know that it is not my purpose to give up in despair. Yet, I've been mired by the feeling that if I'm not making a positive impact, then what's the point. I should know better, yet I remain stuck.
Distraction in pursuit of "things" isn't a problem. I felt more connected with my true self when unemployed and living off the grid under primitive conditions, than I do now in the same location, on the grid with electricity, refrigeration, and central heat. Do we have to strip down to the bottom level of Maslow's Needs Pyramid in order to find connection to our True Self? (I’ve written about that, too.)
There's a difference between knowing or finding or being one's true self and pursuing one's true purpose, if that purpose extends beyond the self. Helping others may require an Other who is receptive to what you have to offer. If there's a wall of un-receptivity or naivete' or simple unawareness, the necessary connection can't be made. The It-Doesn't-Matter swamp grows larger yet another day. How does the self get out of that swamp and get beyond the wall of unawareness?
Ah, purpose, the bugaboo of the soulless self. I flagellated myself for years, lamenting the fact that I hadn't been granted one, when the real problem was that I hadn't learned to listen—or talk, to myself.
"You exist so you may know and be your Self." My own, very similar version of this is that purpose is "to be yourself as much as possible," something I've written about at length, in the context of the Grail myth: https://bowendwelle.substack.com/p/the-false-grail
I also love how Garry Shandling expressed this, in his *Zen Diaries* documentary:
“Your material is purely a vehicle for you to express your spirit. It doesn’t have any value beyond you expressing yourself in a very soulful, spiritual way. It’s why you’re on the planet.”
“Your style is ‘Garry’” “Be more yourself than ever. Don’t force. Just be Garry.”
“I looked in the mirror the other day and I thought, my God, I’m turning into Garry Shandling—and I did not see that coming.”
Just coming across your writing Kevin; we could have a lot to talk about!
When " I let go "of the corporate world and from a job I was pressured into by my father, and let go of the "materialistic" view of life, I started to follow my joy and found I was being guided by "something bigger than me".
I welcomed what ever turned up in my life and followed it with curiousity...I let life flow through me, which brought me happiness as was naturally led to several places which felt like my calling.
I also tunned into my body and connected with the part of self which was light and free, and it felt like "home".
I have experienced, if you connect with the body, love and nuture it to superior health, you find you are able to release past emotional trauma. Being connected to the body, you are able to feel and tune into what is tense, painful and stressed, and by feeling into the those areas, you can release trapped emotional trauma and this makes your body feel lighter. You are able then to connect with the part of your self which is your true self, the real you, not the false self you designed that was the people pleaser, the conformist to others ideas of a perfect life. You are able live from a place of authenticity
Brilliant perspective. Thanks so much for sharing this.
It's so true ... we learn from the time we're young what our parents, friends, extended family, community, and so-called authority figures consider to be the master blueprint to life. But it's often not until everything falls apart or we're thrust headlong into some kind of serious life-changing event that we learn the answers to our purpose do not lie outside of us - but inside. I am just now really learning this myself (at 53), as I find myself rebuilding and understanding myself yet again. I went through some very difficult times in my mid-twenties after a period of serious loss and trial - but this is something else entirely. There is a sense that the stakes are higher, there is less time, and the challenges are more intense. But this time I find myself on a much more spiritual path and I'm able to draw strength from what I've learned. It's becoming clear that what I've done (and who I've been) to get myself here will not get me to where I want to go.
That’s the sum total of it: love. I’m glad you pointed that out. 😊
Really enjoyed this - purpose is a topic I think about often and until recently very much felt the weight of 'out there'. I've come to appreciate the reframe from seeking a purpose to living purposefully - moving with a sense of intentionality. For me that's come through connecting to who I really am and who I want to be for those I love then focusing on the expression of that in the little moments.
Within that there's a sense of agency and it's alleviated the gravitas of 'purpose'. Thank you for putting this out in the world - it's such an impactful conversation.
I understand the quest for purpose and also the answer.
We, as humans, are always looking for perfection in our lives. We seem to believe that if we achieve a better job, more money, we can buy better things, bigger house,
a newer car then we'll be happier, but, this is not the answer. This is not what God wants for us. God wants us to love Him and to love others. In this way we will love ourselves much more and this is our purpose. By living this way you will achieve happiness, trust, peace and success. God is on your side... trust Him.
I cannot love this post more. I will read it a few times to let it really sink in. I am 56 years old this month and I am still asking the question, who am I?
“what you’re really looking for—and what you’ve always been looking for—is how to be the truest expression of your Self.”
⬆️ That!
Since childhood I have delivered the perfect child, sister, adolescent, working adult, and I have failed to express who I really am.
Not being myself has caused anxiety, depression, and failure in specific areas of my life. It make me sad to think about it now. I often think: Is it too late to course correct?
Sometimes I wonder if I am afraid or embarrassed by who I really am, so I keep that part of Corrie hidden from view. I am not even sure how to express all of me.
I love the analogy of burning the ancestral ships. Yep, that’s what I gotta do. Burn ‘em down , baby, and rebuild.
I recently posted in Facebook that I am working towards starting my life over - from a different perspective. I am going to let the real me be the architect and builder.
Thank you so much for this. It is what I needed to start off this weekend.
I agree, Maggie. Since coming to know Jesus Christ I have come to know and understand who I am, and my purpose - to glorify God with my life. This life is temporary- a vapour but we do have an eternal soul, and I am so grateful for God's redeeming love ❤️❤️
I'm certainly drawn to The Rewilded Soul. My purpose, I feel, is to help others through writing. In books, competition is fierce. The sea of blogs and articles is dizzying (I'm here through a recommendation by Jeff Goins). Evidence of my writing having helped anyone is so sparse as to beg the question, "What's the point?" Yet one topic in particular on which I write is both important and in the news daily - nearly always presented incorrectly.
As a Self being a creature of mountains, woodlands, and waterfalls in pursuit of farming, ranching, and writing, I feel I am aware of my Purpose, but the goal of helping others has thus far fallen flat, with small bits of accomplishment here and there. Dislike of self-promotion is a common drawback for writers, many of whom prefer to live a quiet, introverted life. I know that it is not my purpose to give up in despair. Yet, I've been mired by the feeling that if I'm not making a positive impact, then what's the point. I should know better, yet I remain stuck.
Distraction in pursuit of "things" isn't a problem. I felt more connected with my true self when unemployed and living off the grid under primitive conditions, than I do now in the same location, on the grid with electricity, refrigeration, and central heat. Do we have to strip down to the bottom level of Maslow's Needs Pyramid in order to find connection to our True Self? (I’ve written about that, too.)
There's a difference between knowing or finding or being one's true self and pursuing one's true purpose, if that purpose extends beyond the self. Helping others may require an Other who is receptive to what you have to offer. If there's a wall of un-receptivity or naivete' or simple unawareness, the necessary connection can't be made. The It-Doesn't-Matter swamp grows larger yet another day. How does the self get out of that swamp and get beyond the wall of unawareness?
Thank you,
Paula
Ah, purpose, the bugaboo of the soulless self. I flagellated myself for years, lamenting the fact that I hadn't been granted one, when the real problem was that I hadn't learned to listen—or talk, to myself.
"You exist so you may know and be your Self." My own, very similar version of this is that purpose is "to be yourself as much as possible," something I've written about at length, in the context of the Grail myth: https://bowendwelle.substack.com/p/the-false-grail
I also love how Garry Shandling expressed this, in his *Zen Diaries* documentary:
“Your material is purely a vehicle for you to express your spirit. It doesn’t have any value beyond you expressing yourself in a very soulful, spiritual way. It’s why you’re on the planet.”
“Your style is ‘Garry’” “Be more yourself than ever. Don’t force. Just be Garry.”
“I looked in the mirror the other day and I thought, my God, I’m turning into Garry Shandling—and I did not see that coming.”
Just coming across your writing Kevin; we could have a lot to talk about!
When " I let go "of the corporate world and from a job I was pressured into by my father, and let go of the "materialistic" view of life, I started to follow my joy and found I was being guided by "something bigger than me".
I welcomed what ever turned up in my life and followed it with curiousity...I let life flow through me, which brought me happiness as was naturally led to several places which felt like my calling.
I also tunned into my body and connected with the part of self which was light and free, and it felt like "home".
I have experienced, if you connect with the body, love and nuture it to superior health, you find you are able to release past emotional trauma. Being connected to the body, you are able to feel and tune into what is tense, painful and stressed, and by feeling into the those areas, you can release trapped emotional trauma and this makes your body feel lighter. You are able then to connect with the part of your self which is your true self, the real you, not the false self you designed that was the people pleaser, the conformist to others ideas of a perfect life. You are able live from a place of authenticity
Brilliant perspective. Thanks so much for sharing this.
It's so true ... we learn from the time we're young what our parents, friends, extended family, community, and so-called authority figures consider to be the master blueprint to life. But it's often not until everything falls apart or we're thrust headlong into some kind of serious life-changing event that we learn the answers to our purpose do not lie outside of us - but inside. I am just now really learning this myself (at 53), as I find myself rebuilding and understanding myself yet again. I went through some very difficult times in my mid-twenties after a period of serious loss and trial - but this is something else entirely. There is a sense that the stakes are higher, there is less time, and the challenges are more intense. But this time I find myself on a much more spiritual path and I'm able to draw strength from what I've learned. It's becoming clear that what I've done (and who I've been) to get myself here will not get me to where I want to go.