Finding Purpose
One of the most tragic aspects of our modern perspective is the loss of human sovereignty in the form of common sense and decision making based on one’s instinct, observation, and experience, rather than being blindly led by the recent cultural norm of so-called expert authority.
As much as I appreciate the wisdom of experts, it is difficult these days to tell the charlatans from the true proficients. Everyone is vying for attention and authority, and consequently, that mad dash for totalitarian power is, at the very least, extremely unnerving, especially for those of us who grew up in an era of common sense and common decency.
Because the world of social thought has been turned on its head and the expectation is for the masses to put away their “childish” notions of sovereign knowing for a group-led, consensus-based, popularity contest of values and opinions, individual freedom has diminished significantly.
If one’s heart and experience is no longer relevant, where does one turn for meaning, purpose, and the life’s blood of believing in something that leads one, not to mob-like brutality, but to peace, order, happiness, and thriving?
One observation is clear, group-think and group-led behavior is anything but peaceful. More often than not, the masses, when under the guise of popular moral justification, lead with pitchforks rather than peace talks.
How does one find purpose amidst such noise and the demands of raving, conforming-for-the-sake-of-conforming, lunatics?
Today, I’d like to offer a couple of ways one can turn to the inner world for purpose, meaning, and the quiet, yet profound, guidance of sovereign knowing.
Meditation
Meditation, or the act of quieting and listening to the inward voice, is how one becomes sovereign and maintains integrity.
Therefore, meditation helps align one to their own purpose and worth.
Meditate. Nothing revolutionary here. Yet, carving out a few private minutes for oneself in the hubbub of daily life is harder than it seems.
For example, I work from home. I literally spend ten hours a day alone, five days a week. I spend most of that time sitting at my computer, writing, digitally editing, recording, and researching. I’ve become quite the recluse.
However, just because my home is quiet, doesn’t mean I spend all of my time in harmonious connection with my soul. In fact, I have to remember to force myself away from my work to exercise, eat, and think. I often forget to be any kind of human for hours upon hours.
Whether one works at home or in public, is raising a passel of kids, caring for elderly parents, is retired, or in school, whatever one’s day is like, one has to carve out time for purposeful, meaningful time to think and be with one’s soul.
Instead of thinking of meditation in terms of sitting cross legged and trying to find silence within, consider it more as a break from media, noise, and human contact.
Meditation is more about time to recalibrate than it is about ritualistic, religious practice, and it can take on different forms.
Take a walk without media or devices and simply take in the natural noise of everyday living.
Garden.
Putter around tidying up the house.
Actually meditate and make it religiously or ritualistically meaningful.
Practice yoga.
Sit in silence.
Take a bike ride.
Sit and eat without distraction.
Ruminate and ponder on questions or concerns.
Leave devices behind for at least five minutes a day and see what gems emerge.
I highly recommend learning how to actually meditate and turn your mind off, focus on gaining clarity, connect with values and beliefs, and become more sovereign in knowing what is right.
**Below is the link to some of my favorite meditations.
Explore Your Values
Where meditation can open the pathways to one’s comprehension of truth and one’s purpose, understanding one’s values is the road map for choosing how, what, and who to follow.
In other words, meditation is a means for connecting to purpose and understanding one’s values guides a sovereign individual to live their purpose effectively.
One of my favorite pastimes when I’m feeling disconnected from purpose and meaning is to explore and discover my values and beliefs, so that I can strive to live more in balance and harmony with my innate design.
Every person is unique. Their thought process, experience, and values are specific to them. Like a symphony, where every instrument plays a different, yet important part, every person on the planet has something singular to offer that supports and improves the whole.
A symphony is such a different experience from a mob playing the same droning melody over and over.
When one understands the uniqueness of their own values and gifts, they begin to take them more seriously, and only after one has come to understand their worth can they truly contribute in a meaningful, yet singular, way to the greater good that is the symphony of the human family.
Most values—the emotional and mental beliefs and gifts one has—are unique to the individual.
However, there are virtues and values we all embrace in order to live in groups. We all learn levels of cultural conscientiousness from participating in political, religious, educational, social, and familial structures. Sometimes, those collective virtues and values promote peace and harmony, and at other times, group values lead to war, prejudice, oppression, and so forth.
The beauty of individual values, is that they can break apart and fracture group thought that has gone awry or add variety and interest to the mundane melodies of unanimity.
Without authentic, individual values and gifts, the world wouldn’t enjoy the variety and abundance of human discovery we do today.
Thanks to the uniqueness of Socrates, Archimedes, Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, Joan of Arc, DaVinci, Disney, Seinfeld, Jesus, John Williams, Caravaggio, Curie, Steve Jobs, Mother Teresa, Bono, Tesla—and the list is endless—the world is gifted with continual sources of evolution and advancement that bless our lives immeasurably.
One’s unique and individual values act as a sort of litmus test for authenticity. When one is being authentic and genuine, they are also highly attuned to their personal values.
Too often one is inclined to believe that they are not extraordinary, that their lives and gifts are meaningless.
The tragedy, is that buying into that falsehood that only a few are entitled to or capable of great contribution is like believing the cymbals or bells in an orchestra have less value than a violin because they are only played once or twice, whereas the violins often carry the performance.
Every smile, every word of encouragement, every moment one contributes some small, positive gesture, is an act of greatness. If more people recognized that, the world would be a much happier place.
Values are the key to understanding and expressing the best of one’s authenticity and innate design.
The Purpose Myth
In our fast food type interactions on social media and the internet, it’s easy to become disillusioned and callous toward information and meaning.
Fads used to come and go over a much longer time period than they do today. But, now, with access to so much information, and so easily, most take for granted words and their actual meanings.
Humans thanklessly glut themselves on content and then wonder why they are so insatiably dissatisfied.
For example, the word “purpose” has been overused and marketed to the point that its meaning is almost completely lost to desensitization. Even philosophers and psychologists have banished it to the outskirts of importance.
Yet, despite the meanings of words losing their credibility, a sort of death by overindulgence, if one takes pause and considers more carefully symbols, like words and their meanings, they will find an untapped and powerful force for good.
Purpose is not just a word, it is the act of imbuing and permeating everything with distinction, significance, and substance.
When one has purpose, self-discipline is much easier to come by, one takes greater care and concern, one is elevated to importance and worth, tasks become quests, and life becomes sweeter, more beautiful, and worth the effort.
When I hear naive atheistic sentiments of anti-meaning, it’s difficult not to also hear minor tones riddled with bitter diatribes and stoney and dreary rantings of the disappointed faithless.
One doesn’t have to buy into the myths perpetuated by the hapless hopeless, regardless of their empiricism.
Purpose is still, and will always be, the road most worthy of travel.
Conclusion
Finding purpose is maybe the wrong title for this topic. Yet, in my experience, we find what we seek after. If you look for purpose, you will find it.
My own feelings of meaning and purpose take on new understanding every year. Age is certainly not a measure of wisdom, but age does add experience, and my own experience has taught me to trust my inner knowing and sovereign authority to tell charlatan from true proficient, and to discern whether or not the experts are using their knowledge for the good of all or for their own gain.
As a sovereign, purpose-based individual, I decide who I follow, what content I allow on my device, and how I will differentiate friend from foe. I decide, and purpose helps me to choose wisely.
Meditation and exploration leads one to discover one’s values. One’s values help one to determine their purpose and what opinions, ideas, and associations one should ally themselves to.
Purpose-driven individuals determine for themselves what is in the best interest of their own innate design and gifts, so they can effectively improve and share them.
To find purpose is to also find greater sovereignty and self-assurance.
We find that which we seek after. Find purpose, and discover a solid foundation to stand on in these shifting and uncertain times.
