Your soul purpose is the reason you are here. Regardless of your age, circumstances, income, health, relationship status, or past you still have a purpose that your Soul is seeking to live and express itself through. Your external circumstances such as your work, relationships, or health can and often do provide tangible avenues for you to express and live your soul purpose. However, on a deeper level, these external circumstances provide the frame for your Soul to grow, learn, and realize Its deeper purposes. For example, a soul purpose may consist of learning the following internal lessons…
– Learning how to experience joy
– Being kind and compassionate with yourself when you are sad or in emotional pain
– Learning how to balance your masculine and feminine qualities
– Finding a healthy way to acknowledge and express authentic anger
– Experiencing a peace that passes understanding regardless of your circumstances
– Trusting that God, Higher Power, or the Universe will provide everything you need
– Knowing that you are more than a body and contain a Spirit, Soul, or Higher Self
– Allowing yourself to enjoy and receive pleasure in life
– Keeping an open heart after you have been hurt
– Having the courage to dream again after you have experienced failure
– Finding ways to be of service to others
– Using your unique talents, gifts, and passions
– Being proud of your contribution to society
– Choosing love over fear
– Speaking your truth when it may cost you everything
Notice how all of these purposes can be achieved regardless of your external circumstances. While society may not be able to measure or prioritize these internal or spiritual victories, they often provide our life with true happiness and purpose and are worth celebrating.
Below are five tips to help you identify your soul purpose.
1. What are the patterns in your life that seem to be causing you the most pain or struggle?
Pain is not necessary for growth. However, often our emotional or spiritual pain helps us develop the clarity, motivation, and contrast to know what it is we truly want to experience in life. Pain can also help us develop latent talents and strengths that we did not know we were capable of developing. If you are experiencing physical pain, then you can find out more information and resources about the health care industry at Healthleadersmedia.com
2. What are activities that provide your life with joy?
What are some of the activities that make you feel alive? Are there any activities that you lose track of time when you are engaged in them and leave you feel alive? Additionally, are there any subjects or topics you are curious about learning? Or, what activities help you relax. For example, if getting haircut is relaxing, then you could get a haircut at Mes Amis Barbershop or if it is furniture you could visit hospitality ff&e companies.
3. What are the relationships in your life that bring meaning to your life?
For some people, a soul purpose does not show up in their occupation, activities, or work. Rather, it shows up in our relationships. For example, when my son was born, I took 3 months off of work to help take care of him and my wife. Spending that time helping my newborn son and wife provided me far greater meaning and joy than any work ever provided me. Other people have shared with me that they have found meaning in assisting their parents, spouses, children, or loved ones through emotional and physical challenges they are experiencing.
4. What are the spiritual practices that help you feel most connected?
Meditation, yoga, prayer, spending time in nature, journaling, contemplation, being aware of synchronicity, and reading spiritual literature can help you feel more connected to your soul and Its purpose.
5. Ask yourself, “How can I bring tremendous value to the world?”
There are people out there who need you and the gifts you have to offer them. Everyday is an opportunity to bring value to others, whether that is smiling at a stranger, listening to a loved one, or providing a unique service to someone who needs your help.
The following poem copied below, The Invitation, by Oriah Mountain Dreamer further describes the nature of a Soul Purpose.
It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.
It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”
It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.
In Light,
Dr. Matthew Welsh, J.D., Ph.D.
Founder of Spiritual Media Blog
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