So perhaps now is the time to consider pressing a reset button? a time to use what we've learned so far about ourselves and life to start a new chapter? Or even a new book. After all today is the first day of the rest of our lives!
Contemplation? Retreating within? Allowing ourselves to sit with ourselves? Certainly without judgement. To see what comes up. To really listen to ourselves. This is difficult but it’s essential if we are to live in harmony and peace with ourselves, and inevitably the others around us.
Creating your own sanctuary is often linked to reflections about ‘finding your true purpose’. But the bar is high here. It’s quite a lofty statement to be able to say that we’ve found our ‘true calling’ or purpose. And anyway, perhaps our life purpose is one thing at one point and another at another later stage? Does having a life purpose mean that we have to do one thing our whole life? I want to do LOTS of things and explore lots of things and experience lots of things.
If I do lots of different things does this mean that I’ve not found life’s purpose? And if I’ve not found it, does that make my life pointless or meaningless or just plain ‘wrong’? have I failed at life?
Then to compound the issue we are often invited to consider our ‘values’ so we can live in alignment with them and all will be well. Sounds very ‘la dee da’ doesn’t it?
Certainly used a lot in ‘business speak’ when corporations try to think of how they add value to their potential customers, and there is some merit in that. But for us mere mortals, who are trying to get one foot in front of the other, get enough money to pay the rent, survive another panic attack, is there any relevance?? Is that something to think about when everything else is sorted. Can seem very ‘middle class’, a very ‘I have time on my hands’ thing to do doesn’t it?
And yet, actually, perhaps there’s a point to this which, if addressed, might actually make that day to day living easier. Make those panic attacks diminish? So what are we actually talking about here? It’s all about what’s important to you. But the bigger picture, the words that encapsulate or represent those actions or behaviours that you rate (or get irate about) in others, and most likely in yourself. The things you berate yourself for not having/doing enough. Which infect and ultimately rob your joy of living from time to time.
So how about considering life purpose in terms of expression of certain energies?
Kristin Taylor believes that we naturally radiate one or more of these and looking at the list I would suggest that there might be some merit in putting them in order of importance for us personally. And then use that list as a reference point when comparing our actual lives. To see what needs to ‘give’. And upon which we could choose to spend some time reflecting and perhaps, as a result, make small changes in our day to day living that could make a huge difference to our well being. Sometimes it’s knowing where to start. So I hope this list helps.
Peace. Joy. Happiness . Harmony. Creativity. Flow. Connection to the Divine. Empowerment. Truth.
Then when you’ve worked out an order, you might be able to see some of the areas of disconnect in your life. If you have read this and would put, say, Truth first and you’re living with someone who you know routinely lies about things, to you and others, and probably to themselves, you are making life very difficult for yourself.
If Creativity is way up there and you have no time or have made no time (for whatever reason), then you are going to suffer. And everyone else around you! So this is not about judging. It’s about thinking of yourself in relation only to yourself. What’s important to YOU. Then you can assess how and what and perhaps who are not in alignment with you. And, guess what? it’s ‘not about them’, it’s all about you. Enjoy!