Why am I here?

In my work I often am asked by others to help them understand why they are here.  “What is my purpose in this life?” is the question I  hear.  And it is a universal question, perhaps not always in focus, but certainly surfacing during various stages of difficulty, growth and development.  Our human experience is rather rugged, ranging through many emotional, spiritual and physical highs and lows, ever presenting new challenges, bringing us into direct confrontation from time to time with this question of “Why am I here?”

Further complicating this fundamental existential inquiry is the stress we feel on the planet.  We can not help but be disturbed by the intensity of discord in the world, wars, political conflict (at home and abroad), economic strain, environmental deterioration, individual pain and suffering and death, and it is natural to wonder at times why it is this way.  Another “why” question.

Do you wonder “Why am I here? How do I know my purpose?”

The answer lies in your connection with heart-centered living, loving and giving, led by the soul, not controlled by ego and its instruments, emotions such as fear, anger, desire.

It can be challenging not to get caught up in negative or pessimistic feelings about the state of our human circumstance and prospects for the future.  But it is important not to get attached to fear or other paralyzing emotions.  They are disabling and pull us away from our best selves, away from our largest sense, our greater self: our soul connection to love and truth.

We each have our own inner direct connection to our “original self”– the part of us that is an extension from the creative, generative force or source, the oneness. This soul connection is a channel of love and purpose.  We get disconnected from it. We often don’t practice attuning to our higher spiritual selves, or are not quite sure how to, or are so distracted we can’t feel it. But we must go within–and then go without.  Find your inner self, connect to the love there, discover the feeling sense of that, and then look outward and extend and express your unique identity from that place of knowing.  And therein you will find your calling.  Whatever it is.  That’s where you will find it.

Callings come in many shapes and sizes, and none is greater than another.  What matters is that yours is yours, and it is the unique expression of your soul in unison with your individual identity.  In fact, your calling is the very expression of that integration of soul and identity.

I had a wonderful reminder of this a couple weeks ago.  I took some time to go away for a personal retreat, and chose a place in a beautiful natural setting, with sun and salt water and no television or telephone or any other of the myriad of electronic distractions. Once a day a housekeeper came and straightened up my little room.  Her name was Paulette, and she was 60 years old.  She had been working in this same job since she was 19.

The first time I saw Paulette I noticed immediately that there was a glow about her, a joy and happiness combined with a sense of complete self-acceptance that is uncommon.  She was beautiful in her radiance.  I was captivated by the easy and contagious delight she expressed—in short, this is a woman who knows who she is and where she is and why she is.  She told me, and it was clearly true, that she loves her work, loves her guests, feels good about taking care of people and feels that this is the work she was meant to do. She believes this is why she was put on Earth.   Her words.

Not surprisingly, as the days went by I noticed other guests seeking her out. It became apparent that many of them return to this place in part because she is there.

This is a person who comes from the heart, towards herself as well as towards others.  She values her self and her work and others.  She has a heart field that is visible.  She is a teacher and a healer simply by being who she is.

She knows why she is here.