When Will I Know My Purpose?
Two questions about life purpose have nagged at me for some time: Why does knowledge of purpose arrive for some but not for others? What determines when it will arrive?
A partial answer to those questions came recently in one of those “Duh” — slapping the palm of my hand on my forehead — moments.
In prior thinking and writing about purpose I contented myself with surveying the work of “gurus of purpose” in order to find common threads. The findings were published in Is Your Genius at Work?
Your purpose is not to be invented. It is, rather, to be discovered, detected or revealed. Your purpose is directed outward. If you know your purpose, you can be more intentional and effective in fulfilling it. Purpose gives focus to a life.
While doing that work, pondering my own experience, and reviewing the experiences of people that I have coached, I sensed, but did not explore, “purpose readiness.” In other words, awareness of your purpose won’t show up until you are ready for it. Purpose arrives only after a certain point has been reached, but the process of reaching that point and the nature of the point itself seemed mysterious to me.
While I cannot say with any certainty exactly when awareness of purpose will arrive for any one person, I do now believe this statement to be true: knowledge of purpose will arrive only after the demands of ego have been transcended enough to allow that knowledge to enter awareness.
By “ego” I mean that set of personal underlying programs that concern themselves only with their own survival and gain. Those programs rest upon a platform which may contain shame, guilt, willfullness, fear, blame, anger, resentment, craving, or false pride. They are the source of I Got Mine and Its All About Me bumber-stickers. Those programs drive out what is needed to seize and run with a purpose: courage, willingness, surrender, open-mindedness, and other-centeredness.
Is Your Genius At Work? showed seven areas in which to look for clues to your purpose. I still believe those to be valid. And now I would add to that advice, if you are looking for your purpose, also seek out any vestiges of self-centered ego and find your way beyond them. They can be very sublte and tricky; difficult to spot and challenging to overcome. But purpose cannot exist alongside them because purpose is directed to a higher and common good and not merely to yours.
Awareness of purpose may not magically appear when ego is transcended, but transcendence does clear a space for that magic to occur.
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August 23rd, 2006 at 2:58 pm
This post really struck a cord with me. I especially love the ending:
“But purpose cannot exist alongside them because purpose is directed to a higher and common good and not merely to yours.”
So true!
August 24th, 2006 at 8:45 pm
Excellent post Dick! Purpose is a huge reflection commonly being made by myself and my family right now. I couldn’t agree more that the ego must be overcome in order for purpose to be found. Thanks for the insight.
Chloe
August 25th, 2006 at 9:20 am
Astha and Chloe — I’m glad that the post moved you. It came for me in a sudden realization. And the post wrote itself in about 20 minutes. Always a sign that truth is lurking around.
The post was greatly influenced by two books, Eckhart Tolles’ “The Power of Now” and David Hawkins’ “Power vs Force.” I can recommend them both to anyone interested in issues of consciousness/ego. The linking of their writing to purpose came from a region beyond my understanding.
August 25th, 2006 at 5:57 pm
Thanks for the book advice Dick. Recent events are going to require some travel, which means a few hours on a plane where a good book is necessary. I think one of the books you suggested would be a good fit right now. I’m also planning on putting “Is Your Genius At Work?” on my reading list. I’ll let you know what I think.
Chloe
August 27th, 2006 at 8:13 am
Chloe - be forewarned. The first chapter or two of Hawkins’ book is a bit of a slog through behavioral kinesiology, but the rest is well worth it. Happy travelling!
January 11th, 2007 at 3:10 am
Hi Dick
I do want to agree with you when you say
‘knowledge of purpose will arrive only after the demands of ego have been transcended enough to allow that knowledge to enter awareness’. But the question that lingers in my mind is ‘Will a man ever let go of his ego’ isn’t it his ego that lets him survive certain situations.
Is this the only way one can get to know his purpose..?
My apologies if this post does not fit in this discussion but I do have difficulty in accepting the argument about letting your ego away
January 11th, 2007 at 8:34 am
Vin - please, no apology needed. When I wrote this post, I had the same concern as you. That is why I wrote, “when the demands of ego have been transcended enough…. So, who knows what is enough?
There is yet another way of speaking about ego in the context of finding purpose: that ego itself is not so much the barrier as identification with ego–the sense that “I am my ego.”
The question of ego is incredibly complex, isn’t it? Putting together those two thoughts above, I suppose that, at a more abstract level, one could say, purpose will arrive only after ego is not in the way. At a more concrete level, one could say, purpose will arrive only after one understands that “it’s not about me.”
January 12th, 2007 at 4:53 am
Thanks for the respose Dick.. I guess now I can see it fit in well with ” …because purpose is directed to a higher and common good and not merely to yours..”
I do agree with you..ego is complex and some thing that would need a lot of thinking.. like a simple question ‘ how do you know that you have an ego.. do you determine it by the fact that a person is merely selfish? so are we saying selfish people are egoistic ‘
January 12th, 2007 at 5:42 am
I, too, have struggled with the whole concept of ego; however, in my third year of studying A Course in Miracles, it is finally starting to sink in. If I consider that there are two forces inside of me - one struggling to run the show (ego) and one waiting for me to let go and trust (Spirit), and considering what you’ve said Dick - and what you’ve reiterated, Vin - “purpose is directed to a higher and common good and not merely to yours,” it becomes easier to recognize ego for what it is. I’ve heard it said that EGO stands for “Edging God Out,” which helps me see that ego is after my physical survival and Spirit is after my higher good. Just noticing which one is working in a given moment helps me let go of ego more often, which allows Purpose to shine more and more often. It’s certainly a process for me, but a very intriguing and rewarding one.
January 12th, 2007 at 10:15 am
‘..- one struggling to run the show (ego) and one waiting for me to let go and trust (Spirit),..’ That seems like a great way to figure out ‘EGO’ .. magic..
Thanks Jodee
January 12th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
I like that a lot Jodee: ego is after my physical survival and Spirit is after my higher good.
May 4th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Yes indeed. For me, life lessons on purpose is captured in three steps.
1. Finding Your Purpose Within!
2. Succeeding on Purpose!
3. Fire and Desire!
August 30th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
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I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…
January 9th, 2008 at 4:23 am
I really appreciate your article on purpose as well as yo input especially Jodee, it just made it a whole lot clearer for me.
During this season in my life I have been asking God to speak to me, and just begin to show me my purpose, after I had been sent away to a far away project. I am actually realising now that, what keeps nagging me is when I was back home I did a lot of things that helped a lot of other people within the the church, but upon being pulled out I find I am in a foreign land where its difficult to find a church where I can plug myself in and start working to edify others.
Instead I am working for myself, making money for myself, not edifying anyone, its all about me. So yes as is I am living an egocentric life, I need to persue my purpose.
Thank you very much.
February 27th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Three simple yet completely life changing words: “A New Earth” By Ekhart Tolle