I’ve been thinking a lot about purpose.
What it is, how to find it, how to connect or reconnect with it. It is definitely one of the top two questions that clients ask during an Akashic Records or Coaching session with me.
We are all trying to find our purpose, feel our purpose and, most importantly, live our purpose.
Yesterday I was having coffee at this beautiful new coffee shop in downtown Decatur called The River Coffee Company (you must try their Turmeric Latte!) with my dear friend Brooke. We are planning a holistic retreat at the Allerton Mansion and we’re talking about how we’ve been feeling in general.
I shared that I’ve been feeling confused and anxious and somewhat adrift. I shared that I have several things going on yet none of them feel like they are going as fast as I wish they would. She nodded in agreement and I felt the beautiful empathy emanating from her being.
As we continued to talk and pull Angel Cards (we love to do this to help us bring clarity into our lives!) and sip delicious coffee, we reconnected with our shared love of writing.
Instantly, the dam broke and I received a huge wave of inspiration. Brooke, I said, what do you think about co-writing a book together? I had goosebumps. She had goosebumps. I had tears. She had tears. We both knew there was something there.
We said goodbye filled with a renewed sense of hope and purpose. I went about my day doing all the things that moms do, as thoughts of purpose filled my mind.
I checked in with myself and was really feeling renewed, energetic, calm and peaceful. THIS is what it feels like to be connected to purpose, I thought. It felt good. I have a renewed appreciation for why we are all seeking our purpose with so much tenacity and vigor.
Do we have one singular purpose in life?
I used to think that was true. I used to think each one of us was born with a singular purpose and I have tried so hard to find that one single purpose that I was supposed to live out in this world. In doing so, I have felt like a failure more often than not. If we have one singular purpose and that is why I was born, why can’t I figure out what it is? Those are the thoughts that would run through my mind almost daily.
So, what do you believe?
Yesterday’s conversation and everything I felt afterwards has led me to the conclusion that purpose is what feels right in that moment. That we can, and do, have millions of “purposes” in our lives. I also believe that being alive is our purpose. As long as we have a breathe in our body, we have purpose to live out on this Earth.
Purpose can be washing the dishes. Purpose can be writing a book. Purpose can be sharing a smile with a stranger. Purpose can be to become a Supreme Court Justice. Purpose can be playing, coloring, driving or eating. Purpose is breathing.
It is how we reconnect with purpose that matters.
Brooke and I may never actually write a book. But in that moment, we both reconnected with a divine purpose and it was powerful. That reconnection for those few moments fueled the rest of my day and made me feel connected, peaceful and strong.
I used to feel that I had one purpose in life (i.e., write a NYT best-selling book) and I would often feel like I failed myself and the world if/when it didn’t come to fruition. Now I see how hard it is to live up to that standard. Attaching ourselves to searching for, finding and executing that one singular purpose for our entire lives feels impossible and honestly silly! It’s like saying, yes I will only eat white bread for the rest of my life! I’d much prefer to have a huge menu of options available to me. That’s what purpose feels like to me, now.
So let’s change how we view purpose.
The last thing I want anyone in this world to feel is like they do not have a purpose. Remember, as long as you have a breathe in your body, you have a purpose on this Earth. So, let’s change how we view purpose. Let’s reconnect as often as we can, with purpose, with intentionality, with love, to the people and experiences that life is giving us. Let’s reconnect with purpose to the gift of experience, whether it is perceived as “good” or “bad”. Let’s reconnect with purpose by honoring ourselves as sacred and creative beings with varied interests, ideas and dreams and the abundant capacity to bring those to life. Let’s change how we view and pursue purpose.
Today, as you read this, I invite you to take a deep breath and reconnect with purpose.