During a break at work recently I caught a glimpse of the Oprah show when guests were discussing the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, the best-selling author of The Power of Now and A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. The segment snagged my attention because it felt like I’d walked into one of those “synchronicity moments.”
I had already decided earlier that day to blog on the subject of finding your purpose and then, wouldn’t you know it, there was Oprah talking about it. I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised because Life Purpose, Self-Empowerment, and Personal Fulfillment are getting lots of lip service these days. Thank goodness. It’s heartening to see people examining their souls to discover what’s most important in life. Especially with corporate America hacking away at the workforce and everyday jobs drying up like the Arizona desert in August; it’s a relief to know that people are finally looking inward for answers.
Existentialism—the quest to learn “Why am I here” and “What is the meaning of life” is no longer merely a midlife quandary—it’s now a mainstream occupation.
We’re finally beginning to understand what the Law of Attraction and spirituality teachers have been trying to share with us all along: That in order for humans to survive and thrive, we’ve got to tap into the wellspring of energy that connects us all so we can live “on purpose.”
But how do you know what your purpose is? For some people, their “calling” is intuitive. For the rest of us, it’s a frustrating task trying to figure out what our lives are supposed to mean; what we’re supposed to be doing to make the world a better place. I think that’s what all this soul searching is about. We want to make a difference. We want to feel fulfilled, like we’re not just taking up space on the planet, serving our time til we die.
The guest on Oprah’s show was a stay-at-home mom who chose that path specifically to live her purpose as a wife and mother, but she was wondering how she could find fulfillment in that. The answer was, to paraphrase, to find joy in everything you do—the big stuff and the mundane—to enjoy every “now” moment. Which might make you wonder, as the woman did, how much joy can you get from cleaning the bathroom or doing the laundry?
The key, according to spiritual leaders across the globe, is to “be present,” or, as Eckhart Tolle says, to enjoy “the power of now” every moment of your life. To take pleasure in serving the world no matter what you’re doing. To love giving yourself and others the benefit of your attention. It sounds a bit “out there,” but think of it this way: you have the choice of whether you hate what you’re doing or whether you’re doing it from a place of love—an expression of your appreciation for yourself. Wouldn’t you rather choose to feel love over hate?
I can’t say that I personally love scrubbing the toilet at home, but I do enjoy doing chores because it gives me a sense of accomplishment, like I’m treating myself like royalty by taking care of myself. When you apply that philosophy to every single thing you do, you are living on purpose. It’s not so much about what you do but about how you do it. Purpose is all about being, not doing. Or, as Leo Tolstoy said, “If you want to be happy, be.”
