What Is My Purpose

In our meditation practice, the third soul question is "What Is My Purpose?"
 
Growth and replication have been the purpose of nearly every molecule in existence since the Big Bang. The universe has grown at an astonishing rate, replicating solar systems and entire galaxies. On planet Earth, we see millions of species replicate and grow continuously. Like all other creatures, we humans have been performing our most urgent duty of reproducing for 200,000 years. Somewhere during our evolution, we have developed the unique ability to create stories, setting us far apart from all other creatures.
 
We have this ability to create stories about who we are and live according to those stories. We pass stories down through generations, allowing those that come after us to learn and grow. As a species, we don't just want to expand in numbers, but also expand our abilities to adapt and live more comfortably with each generation.
 
Our most basic purpose is to reproduce, but as we grow older and our reproductive instincts diminish, we may find ourselves asking "what is my purpose?" This usually happens when our children grow and leave home.
 
What we think our purpose should be does not always align with the story that we have been told. The story about how we should live our life has gotten in the way of who we really are. The story has conditioned us to conform with the social norm, which is not necessarily what our basic instincts tell us.
 
Through my meditation practice I have discovered that I am not a human being having a spiritual experience I am a spiritual being having a human experience. Our spirit has taken on a physical form to fulfill a purpose.
 
Each and every one of us has a unique special skill or talent that we can share with others. We may just plant a seed of an idea in someone, perhaps in the form of advice or a creative idea. That someone may pass that idea onto their children and they in turn may pass that idea down to their children who may use that idea to change the world. Remember, someone first had to teach Einstein that 2+2 = 4; that person was likely not a genius, but they did spark the genius in Einstein. Someone had to first teach Beethoven the piano scales when he was three years old; they didn’t have the talent Beethoven had, but sparked the genius or passion in that great piano player. Growing up, my father said to me “you made your bed now sleep in it." That simple statement has stuck with me and has caused me to take responsibility of the decisions that I make throughout my life.
 
Our purpose, therefore, is not only to physically reproduce, but to use our unique talents to make the world a better place for all mankind, present and future.

Namaste