I appreciate it when an online article title captures my curiosity. I am less enthusiastic when I have to sift through a lot of content to sate my curiosity. So, if the title, “Do we really have a life purpose?” piqued your interest…
The short answer is Yes, we really do have a life purpose.
First, we need a common understanding of the term, life purpose. Many people think that life purpose means a single vocation or avocation that we are supposed to discover, pursue, and then actively perform throughout our life. I’ll never forget when I learned that hockey legend Wayne Gretzky knew he wanted to be a hockey player at age six! Lucky Wayne! Purpose in action is different from life’s purpose. I wonder if Gretzky would count hockey as his life purpose, my sense is he would have more to add.
To understand what life purpose is, we must acknowledge this fundamental truth – we are souls who have taken human form. Our soul is imprinted with our purpose for this lifetime. When our soul takes the physical form, it brings the contract made with God, the Universe, or the Divine. The concept of soul or spirit has been part of human society throughout antiquity. The Bible is replete with references to the soul; depicted as inside the body and holds our god-given purpose. Hinduism says that the soul animates the body and is not separate – it’s the driving force within us. Both resonate with me.
Today, most of us know we have a soul or spirit. As humans have evolved, we have transitioned out of survival mode and are blessed with being alive at a time when the collective consciousness has risen. As we evolve as a species, so has our collective consciousness. There are many examples of how we have risen in our collective consciousness. Most people today understand that we are connected to all things – animals and nature are the easiest examples. Anyone who is lucky enough to have a dog or cat knows that we are deeply connected to them. We don’t own them, they aren’t our babies – they are our spiritual companions. Animals have soul contracts, too. They come into our life to teach us unconditional love, compassion, play and countless other lessons.
Science has also helped us understand how soul contracts are formed. Today, Near Death Experiences (NDEs) are rigorously studied at prestigious universities. There are detailed cases of the soul contracting process in NDEs. For many humans, seeing is believing and this helps shift our openness to new beliefs and awareness. These are just a few examples of how the collective consciousness has risen and its impact on our awareness of the nature of our soul.
The most compelling evidence is…
Perhaps the most compelling evidence we know that we have a soul that holds our purpose is we can feel it. It’s almost indescribable when we have these energetic pulls toward something, someone, or some insight. Joseph Campbell called it our bliss and advised us to follow it. We don’t know where these pulls are going to lead but we feel compelled to heed. When my good friend Terri McGuire shared her life purpose story of helping children, she called these pulls “soul whispers”. What a beautiful image!
Our soul whispers and our ego roars!
Where humans get confused regarding life purpose is in the process of being human! This is the fundamental challenge when spirit is in human form. Our soul whispers and our ego roars! The ego wants us to have a set belief system, an identity, keep us safe and always have a plan. So, we try to make life’s purpose become a thing to achieve outside of us. A mountain to climb, a job to succeed in, an identity to embrace. When life’s purpose is so much more than that – it’s the daily acts of love for ourselves by listening to the whispers and following them. One wise woman told me that she had an accident as a child and was not able to participate in sport, and she knew that part of her purpose was to help her father grow in his compassion for others. He was a man whose ego strongly identified with physical strength and performance. She recounted other areas she reflected on her life where she knew she was doing what she came here to do. Simple acts like being a pillar in her small community and being connected to the earth through her lush garden. We turn these whispers into jobs or identities we must complete to be fulfilled. When you are listening to the whispers they tell you the next step and it may manifest into a job, career or status that society approves, but that is not the ultimate goal.
Our soul carries the light, the goodness that we contracted to see out in this lifetime. We must quiet ourselves and listen with no expectations. It’s not easy, because that is the human experience – the paradox of getting out of our own way, really, our own head, to return home to what has been within us the entire time.
I always allow time over the Christmas holidays to reflect on the past year and set intentions and goals for the year ahead. 2021 was a tough year for many – myself included.
I have been procrastinating on this year’s reflection practice. Like an awkward conversation I don’t want to revisit or a painful memory that is still too tender to process, I prefer to jump into 2022 without looking back. Yet, I know as blissful as avoidance can be – integration of “what is” is a better teacher for “what is” to come.
Here are a few of my hardwon insights from 2021.
- I have too many shoes and seem to struggle using the last quarter bottle of shampoo. (We moved locally in December – forcing an inventory.)
- When you encounter unscrupulous bullies in life. Don’t back down; but also don’t give them your mental and emotional energy. Place your energy on the light – the people whom you respect, share your core values, and are blessed to call a friend. Thank you to all my friends – you know who you are.
- Don’t be afraid of endings. The prospect of change may be uncomfortable, but embedded in every change is the opportunity to create something new and better suited to where you are at that point in your life.
- 7-8 hours of sleep each night and taking a brisk walk outside every day are gifts that are never to be taken for granted.
- If the people in your family are healthy and happy two years into a global pandemic, you are beyond blessed.
How did I arrive at the insights I shared above? There are many ways to practice reflection. We can answer specific reflection questions, or use different lenses or perspectives from which to reflect on a situation.
Depending on the year, I mix it up. For example, since 2021 was challenging, I wanted to look at the lessons learned. I took the biggest challenges in 2021 and then asked a follow-up question, “How did I overcome these challenges?” And, from there, I derived insights. Also, since the global pandemic is still ongoing – here is a link to questions that look through the lens of the pandemic.
Reflection Questions for 2021
- How would I describe 2021 in just 3 words?
- What were my biggest achievements in 2021?
- What were my biggest challenges in 2021?
- How have I developed as a person in 2021?
- What can I leave behind?
- What can I take from 2021 into 2022?
You can also set your intentions for the year. Intentions are more overarching than goals and are focused on your inner relationship with yourself. Identifying your intentions can help you live your life with meaning and purpose.
Intention Questions for 2022
- What are 3 words that I want to describe my new year?
- What do I need to be my truest, authentic self?
- In which areas do I wish to grow?
- How do I want to feel on a daily basis?
- How can my work positively impact others?
- What is my ‘why’ behind the way I show up in my work?
- How do I become the best version of myself in my work?
With love, light, and a little help,
Ellen
Do you know what your purpose and passion is in life? Every one of us wants to feel as though our life matters. We want our time spent on earth to be meaningful and for the world to be a better place for us having lived in it. I started Live Your Jam because I wanted to inspire and help people live a life of meaning. (Jam = Passion + Skills)
My childhood friend Polly has been helping others for years and was ready for a change. Hear how Polly courageously closed the door on her career of 20 years and opened a new door to live her Jam.
Jam is our skills applied to our passion. It gives us meaning which is essential for our survival. A question we have all asked is, “What is a meaningful life?” Because we are each unique, the answer varies for all of us. The poet Rumi says, “Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.” That “particular work” is our Jam.
