Why ‘living your purpose’ is the deepest spiritual work
By Lian Brook-Tyler
(And how you can find yours.)
Purpose is so important to humans, in fact so deeply human, that it’s something that’s been spoken about in many ways, across many traditions and cultures, and likely for most of human history.
Whether you call it…
Your purpose
Your vocation
Your calling
Your beingness
Your myth
Your give away
Your True Will
Your ikigai
Your soul work
Your true self
Your dharma
Your service
Your medicine
Your life’s work
… Purpose is something that consumes almost all of us, one way or another.
The search for it
The rejection of it
The pretence of it
The living of it
And yes, the very idea of finding and living one's purpose comes laden with baggage, especially in this modern world… We’re told it’s selfish, harmful, irresponsible, egotistical, hopeless, costly, foolish, and a fantasy.
Understandably, that’s enough to stop many people from even beginning the hero’s journey to find their purpose, and those who do, will face ogres and sirens, simultaneously blocking their path and luring them off course, few will make it to the treasure.
But when we do discover and live our purpose, even though fears and seductions will continue to challenge our devotion, it’s everything we dreamed of… meaningful, fulfilling and true.
We know, at last, we are living our right life.
And deep down, I think we all *know* it’s possible, which is why, despite how few role models we have for what living your purpose looks and feels like, it’s still the Holy Grail, consciously or otherwise, for almost all of us.
We secretly believe, like Van Gogh, that our purpose can be our profession, and that it will feel like way more than just a job... “Your profession is what you were put on earth to do with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling.”
Having spent many years discovering and then (at last!) living my purpose, an aspect of which is guiding others to do the same (many thousands, at this point), I’ll share just some of what I’ve learned about how we can find and live our purpose.
Ask yourself the following questions (depending how best you work, you might want to write down your answers)…
What did you love to do as a child (and maybe still do now for no obvious gain… or maybe what you would still do if you gave yourself permission)?
What is your deepest wound? And once healed, what gifts would you have that would allow you to give guidance and modelling to others with similar wounds?
(Note: this question is the one we tend to need most guidance to heal and reveal, wounds will have huge ‘No trespassing’ signs around them, for good reason.)
What do you make look easy? What are the skills and talents you’re great at?
What vision of the world would you love to help bring to life? Or differently said, what would allow you to die complete?
Combine your answers to those questions into one sentence, play around with the order and add and remove words to help it flow, at some point, it’ll click into place and sound right (for now)… that’s your purpose, or at least points to the direction to travel to discover more.
In short, as Mr Bukowski said “Find what you love and let it kill you”. And… do it with and from love.
That last paragraph is actually the hardest part of all for almost all of us… it means noticing when you’re in fear… grasping for control, security or approval… and doing The Work.
That work requires rising into the true adulthood of Sovereignty, loving the Child and alchemising the parts of us held in shadow… long, deep, dark work that, little by little, takes us back to our true selves and opens us into the infinite, unconditional love of Spirit.
And this is why I believe ‘living your purpose’ is the deepest spiritual work.
Will you find and live yours?
Art: Andrew Krueger