By Katie Albee
Purpose is an amazing thing to have in life. It gives us drive, meaning, and even joy when our actions are fueled by it. But I don’t believe purpose is something we can find on our own, ego driven, rushed timelines. And therefore, searching for purpose is a bad idea. It will drive you mad. Purpose is something that finds you. You don’t find it.
Purpose appears hazy and far off in the distance. If you think you can just make out its un-defined edges, that’s great but don’t go running towards it. Keep your head down and get back to what it was that you were just doing.
Purpose begins to clarify; make itself known when we have given up the search and have gotten busy with what we love. Purpose can be much too big for us to understand the full view. Purpose hangs out with God and we are fragments of God’s expression – one heartbeat, one pulsation of love.
Find something you enjoy, something that makes you curious, or something that you see needs fixing and get on with it! You don’t need to know where it will take you and that is just your ego getting in your own way anyhow.
Do what moves you even if it’s only a small step that will fill the next 30 minutes. That’s okay. There is always a small voice of knowing; a pull, an instinct there to guide you. Take a step forward. And if the next is not clear it’s only because you are again standing in your own way. And that’s okay.
Again, do what you can to calm down, slow down. Know that you are safe and not alone in this infinite universe. Once you do, your next bit of knowingness will appear.
The sooner you can get out of your own way the sooner you will move from fear and into the flow. You will find joy and purpose will take another step towards you.
You are not alone. You are not without purpose. You were not made to suffer. Joy and celebration are your birthright. But will you let it in? Will you claim it when it makes itself known?
No one is keeping you on the outside but yourself. No one is keeping you on the outside but your ego. Insisting life look a certain way is what keeps you from realizing life as a celebration. Your demands are fueled by your ego.
It’s okay. You’re human. We all feel stuck some (or most) of the time. But we can change. We can set aside our demands for the next 30 minutes. We can set aside our self-punishing thoughts – really, you can! – and jump into the moment. You can jump into what moves you; honor your impulse to pull out your cookbook, write a letter, go for a run, or volunteer your time. Do the next thing, which might be the only thing that you know to do. In the process of following this instinct – this pull that no one but you can decipher – you will find joy and eventually, purpose will find you.
Note: this letter is as much to you as it is to myself. This is the wisdom that I have gained on my journey that I have made much harder than it needs to be!
About the author
Katie Albee lives and loves in Colorado. She is a passionate writer, backpacker, and dancer. She also has a penchant for rehabbing discarded furniture from the side of the road. Currently, she is writing her first book. To read more about her adventures, furniture projects, and her need to understand every aspect of life, visit her blog, Sensing Self. www.sensingself.com
