Are you building strong relationships within your family, and then going beyond?

 

Discovering our purpose is not a solo effort.  So many people and spiritual beings have surrounded us and guided us in our effort to be who we are today.  There is a process to enlightenment often known as going within oneself.  Buddha spent years in solitary to become enlightened.  Jesus went off into the desert.  

 

Solitary time is a good time to focus on the purpose question.  It is also a good time to ask what else is possible.  This is not to suggest we follow the life direction our parents or friends or other people have prescribed for us.  While their guidance may have been helpful it may also have intruded on what will enable us to offer the most impact and experience the most abundance, happiness and satisfaction in life.

 

When I went through this exercise I found I discovered much about myself when I pictured myself as a young boy.  I realized I was so happy and full of life!  At that moment, I also realized I could be contented and excited about life again.  This was an important event because it shows how often our happiness and our purpose may be interlinked.  Also, a purpose may vary off the course and may not include being happy; rather, it may include doing what is right.  

 

In the movie, It's A Wonderful Life, George Bailey follows his purpose in the opening scene.  You may remember he was sledding with his friends and his brother broke the ice and fell in.  Was George's purpose to be happy at that moment?  George jumped in and saved his brother's life.  In the process he lost his hearing in his left ear - a condition which bothered him the rest of his life.  Did losing his hearing make him happy?  Probably not.  However, George demonstrated the principle of Right Action.

 

[Note: the remainder of this article may be found in our award-winning Life Purpose Series - see below for purchase information.]

 

 

Please note:  the author of this article may not be certified as a licensed psychotherapist -- please consult professional assistance as your situation dictates.