Crusade for Purpose

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.  ~George Bernard Shaw

Purpose is as purpose does, but what if it doesn't do? As a typical twenty-something, I have  let the winds of fate determine my destination for sometime now. But is leaving our destiny to fate what has led us to this constant feeling that we are searching but never finding? running but never finishing? reaching but never touching?


This calls for a good, old fashion dose of reality. This prescription comes with side effects. Warning: May cause rude awakenings, attitude adjustments,  feeling ground coming out from under your feet, and yes, the scariest of all....CHANGE.


Now, to reduce these side effects there are some remedies, but they come at a cost. The cost is having to actually sit down with yourself and have a heart to heart. I know sometimes my-self is not in the mood for these deep and sometimes painful conversations. I am firm but gentle, knowing that my-self really needs this to find happiness. Once you have yourself alone, remove all distraction aka cell phone, tv, ipod, ipad, i-anything. Now here is the hard part, you actually have to listen to what your-self has to say. What it wants, what it needs, what it doesn't want anymore, what moves it, what inspires it. Take notes. 


After having this conversation, you are past the hardest part but the journey is not over. You still have to take what you got out of the conversation with yourself and find things in your life that meet you-self's needs. It can be people, places, hobbies, music, art, your job, your family...really any combination of these and many other things.


Now how do you know when you have found something that meets those needs. Well, it come back to listening to yourself. For instance when you are walking down the street and you hear a street performer playing a mad beat that moves you from the inside out, that's your-self telling you what it needs. When you meet someone and have an instant connection, yup, your-self again. Oh yea, and when you lose something or someone and you feel that huge gaping hole in your chest, you guessed it. Your-self just punched a hole in the wall.


With all of the distractions of today, social scientists worry about the loss of human interaction. Well I am starting to worry about our human intra-action, our communication and connection within ourselves. Taking the time to dig deeper and push farther and really get at what it means to live OUR lives. 


And so, on that note, I leave you with a song from myself to me and yourself to you...JUST.LISTEN.