“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.”
Martha Graham (1952)
One of my passions is to support people in reconnecting to their sense of Purpose, as expressed so beautifully by Martha Graham.
Many of us can relate to this quote while for others, living with a sense of purpose, can remain elusive.
At Evolutionary Intelligence, we look at Purpose as a vital key to living a grounded, fulfilled and connected life.
It sits within our Five Key Frameworks:
- Self Awareness
- Self Regulation
- Connection
- Purpose
- Integration
Why is Purpose NOT Number One?
I am often questioned as to why purpose is not the first of the keys, as it seems to be the most important. For each of us, Purpose allows us to what energises not only us, but also those around us. Our journey to purpose is facilitated through an understanding and embodying of the first three Keys of self-awareness, self-regulation and connection.
- We are able to identify and acknowledge what is true for us here and now, through self-awareness and presence. This may or may not be aligned with our purpose!
- We can then get an understanding that any moment we have a choice as to how we feel. This is the next step, self-regulation. We may not have the ability to directly influence certain events but we always have the choice as to how we feel about the events.
- We are able to choose to connect in a different way and depth once we realise we have a choice in how we respond to events around us. As humans we are wired for connection. We thrive and feel that we belong when we have a deeper connection to ourselves and others.
Where and When is Purpose?
One of the main blockers I find both within my own journey and that of others is a misunderstanding of where and when purpose is. Often we believe that purpose sits outside of us and is somewhere into the future. We may have underlying beliefs like I’m not good enough or I’m not worthy. If we live from these prime drivers, we are tied into a story that can lead us to believe that we can live our purpose ONLY when we are better at something or when we feel better about ourselves.
This is perhaps the greatest paradox we face.
If we are tied to the above stories, there is one vital piece about purpose which will continue to be elusive:
Purpose can only be lived and come alive now. Right now!
Our purpose is always available to us. It is in fact what creates a sense of wellbeing and gives us access to an unlimited supply of energy.
If we look at purpose through this prism we are able to gain a better understanding of how this may look in our daily lives.
We may have read about and heard different people talk about the importance of being in the now, the present. In fact, it is often stated that it is all there is.
Indigenous people throughout the world hold this to be true and science is pointing us in the same direction.
There is however still a disconnect from what we understand on a mental level and how we embody that truth in our day-to-day lives.
Purpose can help us bridge this gap between our mental understanding of presence and how we live and embody it.
The universe is asking us to show up fully and bring to life our gift. We are invited into the game of creation to play our part each moment of each day.
Each moment in time is a unique opportunity for us to show up fully engaged with this moment. If we understand this, the concept of purpose makes more sense.
Whatever your purpose is, the universe is inviting you to bring it in this moment and it will make that moment complete.
See Part 2 for how to discover your purpose.