It is important to address the first question first. This post is an exercise you can do that will help you find your purpose in life.
Exercise
Please take 30 minutes for this exercise in a quiet place without anyone else around, with a word processor or a pen and paper.
- Start writing whatever comes to mind. Most people face difficulty because they think that the first few answers must be the right one, but it can’t be further than the truth. These answers actually don’t matter; it’s about getting them out first so you can then get to the deeper answers.
- Do not overthink. Don’t filter. Filtering will affect the progress. Just write down everything that comes to mind. Even if you come up with answers like ‘I want to do absolutely nothing’ or ‘I want to just laze away and sleep’, write these down and keep going. In order to get to the final answer, you have to first get out all the irrelevant thoughts and answers. It also does not matter if your thought is a long sentence, a word, repeated or seems pointless.
- Nothing is just a mid-point. If no thoughts are coming to mind, again repeat the question “What is my life’s purpose ?”. If you are thinking “I don’t know”, then write “I don’t know”. If you’re thinking nothing, then write “nothing”. Eventually something new will come up.
- Get past the socially conditioning. If you have not experienced any clarity on your purpose in life before, you will find that your answers start off as imposed purposes. These are remnants of social, media and environmental conditioning that are accumulated in your mind over the course of your life. Just write down them anyway because it helps to get them out of the way. Some examples of social-conditioning junk are earning money, becoming slim and pretty, becoming successful, etc. They started to disappear as you progress through the exercise.
- Write your doubts. Sometimes doubts or fears come up as you progress in the exercise. If so, just write those doubts or fears down. Then, ask yourself “What is my purpose?” If there are doubts that emerge, again write them down and repeat the question. Soon something new will come up.
- Resistance means you’re getting somewhere. Half-way through, you might get the nagging feeling to stop and do something else. Or maybe your mind is drawing up in a blank. Or maybe you feel tired or restless. Press on – this means you’re getting somewhere.
- Get to the core. You might write activities and tasks, such as ‘watching television’, ‘hanging out with friends’, ‘exercising’. You might get to certain activities you are extremely passionate about, say, dancing. Get down to the root message behind that. What is it that dancing allows you to achieve that makes you love it so much? Is it because it lets you grow and become a better self? Is it because it lets you utilize your creativity? Is it because it lets you become in unison with your body and soul?
- The answers in the middle don’t matter at all actually. It’s about the final answer. That’ll be the answer where you hit resonance.
- Keep going till you hit the point of resonance. When you write, you will have answers here and there that resonate. Keep moving in the direction of emotions. Get to the answer that evokes your strongest emotions and resonates with the depth of your soul. This final answer is what you are looking for – not the ones in between. Just keep typing and get the answers flowing until you get there. If it is accompanied by tears, you know you are there.
- Do the exercise repeatedly if need be. If you feel tired mid-point and you can’t continue, take a break and do it later. Don’t be frustrated if you’re not getting anywhere; this exercise will help you uncover the answer. Keep doing it at several times of the day or every day and eventually you will find the answer. It’s there inside you waiting to be uncovered.
Please contact me at bhavnadalal@gmail.com if you need any further help in doing this exercise or need more clarity. I will be happy to help.