Michael is the son of a friend of mine. He is 16 years old and rather evolved for his age. One day, he was visiting me and we got into a very deep conversation about the meaning of life. So I asked him, “Michael why do you think we are here? And without a moment’s hesitation he said, “We are here to wake up.” When I asked him to explain a bit more he said, “The way I look at it is that most people are caught up in their own stories, fears, and the conditions of their lives. They don’t really know who they are. I think we walk around being asleep. And we need to wake up.”
I must say, I totally agree with him, and when people so often ask me, “How can I find my purpose?” I refer back to that conversation with Michael. That our purpose is to wake up, we are here to evolve, to transform and I think that everything that happens in our lives and everything that doesn’t happen, is the journey to our transformation. But how do we embark on the journey and experience peace when we are battling with self-doubt and fear?
There is no one size fits all. Finding your calling is like calling your own personal melody. I like to think of our purpose as our own individual calling. It has nothing to do with our accomplishments or our resumes. It is a deeper thing that connects us to our heart’s pulse. When we find it, it adds meaning to whatever we do. And slowly, we feel purposeful and fulfilled.
We might delude ourselves into thinking that people who are more famous or more successful have a higher purpose than we do, but that’s not accurate at all. Your purpose does not have to be grandiose or world-changing. We all have a purpose, and it looks different for everyone. I have met thousands of people who have found purpose in very impractical, under the radar ways. They’re not famous or in the spotlight. What they do improves the lives of others, and that’s incredibly powerful.
When we connect to our heart’s calling, everything starts to have meaning in our lives. Here are five questions to help you bring yourself closer to your calling:
- What am I here to learn?
- What am I here to teach?
- What am I here to overcome?
- What am I here to complete?
- What am I here to share?
Take a moment to answer these questions from an authentic place. Maybe write your answers in your journal. The answers may be very different from what you expected. These questions are meant to break down self imposed standards that bind you. I believe we are all here to learn and we are all here and we are all here to teach. And we are always, no matter what stage we are in our lives, are overcoming something. Every stage of life has its own challenges.
If we make no judgments in our process and our experience but open our hearts to embrace all parts of ourselves with compassion, we will find that our very spirit and blueprint of who we are starts to reveal itself and it feels like being attached to an invisible string –– to our compass and center.
Nothing is set in stone. As you answer these questions, you may find a blueprint emerging that can guide you to what calls you and as you design your life according to that plan you start to experience more of an inner fulfillment. That knowledge can alleviate a sense of emptiness you might feel and bring solace and comfort to you when you ask the basic questions of “Why am I here?”
I often hear people say that after going through a breakup, the loss of a job, or any other big change, they look back and see that it was the best thing that ever happened to them. It’s what led them to learn more about themselves and what matters. It’s interesting how the end of one chapter can lead you to finding your calling –– so never allow yourself to get discouraged. Think of yourself as a musical instrument that needs to be tuned daily. You are not here to get things done. You are here to produce beautiful sounds and play your melody. You can then do as much as you want without burning out, because you will be riding in your own life force and your natural state of being. Every day, take a moment to tune in with yourself. Ask yourself what you can uncover about yourself today, and what you can bring to the world. Your treasure box awaits you.