Purpose

“Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?”. This is a quote by Charles Bukowski, one that has lingered in the corridors of my mind for the last couple of weeks as I grappled with the thought of crossing a significant milestone in the journey of life and at the same time pondering on the outlook for the second phase of this complex and compelling journey.

I suppose what Bukowski meant by the aforementioned quote is that typically as children, we tend to come into this world with some form of identity and a gift: We know who we are, what we like and don’t like, and in some cases, we know what we typically enjoy doing as well was what we don’t enjoy doing. This ideology is further corroborated by research in the field(s) of morphic resonance and collective consciousness which infer that we tend to come into this world with unique gifts or talents which if harnessed appropriately, can enable us to have our predestined impact in this world.

However, as we grow older and navigate the intriguingly complex journey of life, “the world” imposes on us another sort of identity, which is shaped by external influences and experiences. The world tells us who we should be.

According to works by Dr. Joe Dispenzer (whom I have a lot of time for by the way), 95% of who we are by the time we’re 35 years old is a set of memorised behaviours and emotional reactions to life’s experiences that in turn create one’s identity subconsciously. He further posits that our Personality - an amalgam of these said behaviours (learned and taught) and experiences in turn dictates our Personal Reality.

One could argue that for most of us, our current “personal reality” in this paradigm called life isn’t quite our Purpose - “Our reason for being”. This is a harsh reality that confront us mostly during moments of personal reflection. However uncomfortable this harsh reality might seem, seeking one’s higher purpose remains the true meaning of life. Tenets of faith and philosophy agree that our “purpose” (our reason for being) is something hidden deep inside us, something we’re born with, albeit it requires an equally patient and persistence search to find it.

As I continue on my journey to ascertain and live my purpose, I implore you to also seek your reason for being and to find a way to live it everyday in a manner that embodies happiness and significance.

Remember - “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” - Pablo Picasso

Peace, Love & Light,