Purpose

So many writings and discussions and beautiful longings directed towards finding life's purpose, including finding purpose at or through work. There is a sense of seeking, of striving to find your purpose, and of achievement when you recognize what truly resonates in your soul. There is also deep frustration, even shame, when you cannot say you have found your purpose in life or in work.

My belief is that there is only one purpose in this life, and we all--every single one of us--have the same one:

Our purpose is to remember who we are by removing the blocks that prevent us from seeing our true selves.

What others call "purpose" I sometimes refer to as my work in the world. Tara Mohr uses the term "calling", which is also beautiful, as there is an acknowledgement that your calling can change over time, or you may even have multiple callings at one time.

Now, I don't want to get stuck at the level of words, as Eckhart Tolle cautions against. If the word "purpose" feels right to you and you feel empowered that you have found or are seeking purpose in life, in work, and/or in community, then please strive boldly forth with the conviction of that purpose.

And yet.

If our purpose is to remember who we are, then the first step must be to recognize, if only for a moment, that "deep within you is everything that is perfect, ready to radiate through you and out into the world." And literally everything flows from the knowledge that we are already the person we are seeking to be. We have simply forgotten.

What this means is that, as beings of pure love and light, we are perfectly worthy and valuable beyond measure exactly as we are. We do not have to do anything. Not one single thing. By choosing to exist in this time, in this place, we are fulfilling our purpose. And when I say that you don't need to do anything to be perfectly loved, to be perfectly valued, I really mean it. As my spiritual guide promises, "You do not even need to breath. I will breath through you."

So how does all this being and not doing translate into the work world? On the surface, not well. I'm an operations consultant, so figuring out implementation, which includes a whole schwack of doing, is pretty much my entire livelihood.

But a little scratch down from that surface, the paradox starts to unwind. This is because the emotion that unplugs us from our power is our feeling of unworthiness. It causes anxiety, depression, or an insatiable striving for validation through external praise or accomplishments or financial success.

We cannot "do" anything with our full power unless we can feel, at least some of the time, our perfection and value in our "being." When I have those moments of working from this place of power and of knowing myself as perfect, it is like nothing I've experienced before. Everything simply works exactly as it is supposed to, including plain old fashioned getting shit done.

And the other fun thing is that, when you have moments of accessing that place of perfect worthiness, you want more. And the way to have more is to removing the blocks and clearing the clouds that prevent you from remembering your true self.

This blog centers on the idea that a powerful arena for recognizing and clearing those blocks to remembering who you are is your work. Through work you are often and repeatedly confronted with your fears, your limiting beliefs, those part of your personality that keep tripping you up, and oh so many challenging relationships. Each one is an invitation to examine why you aren't in that moment remembering your perfect and best self. Each one is an invitation to make a choice to move away from the fear and limitation, and towards compassion and grace and love. (Including love and grace and compassion for yourself and your business, by the way. We are so not looking for boundry-less martyrs or victims here. But that is a different blog post.) I absolutely promise you, your business or work will follow its rightful path when you bring your best self through the door.

We spend so much time and energy at work, and every moment is a proffered gift to guide you towards remembering who you are. Your only real job, your only true purpose in this life, is to receive it.