I have signed up for a six week class on Powering Up My Life. I did this because I am in a transition and I thought the class might be helpful in creating more focus and direction during this period. The first assignment was relatively easy for me. This week’s question seems much harder. The first part of the assignment is to define my life purpose. I am a big believer in having a vision, dream or beacon, so you might think the question would be easy for me. But no, quite the opposite. I find myself struggling. The simple answer to the question is: to connect. Though I ask myself is that a purpose? Is it noble? Is it directional? Is it too simple?
When I was dying the thing that stirred up the desire in me to stay engaged was witnessing and watching people connect. I had the opportunity to be a part of a group at The Haven, a personal & professional development center. We started a group of strangers but after five days I’d say the 23 other participants in the group knew me better then anyone else ever had in my life. We had each in our own way opened up to each other through sharing emotions, stories, judgments and intentions. The leaders were the models and I must say I was so amazed I found myself wanting to do whatever it took to be able to make contact and connect to the world around me in the authentic, real way they did. Twenty-five years later that still motivates me, finding ways to connect to the people around me. Creating bridges between differences and expanding my own experience through being open and curious about someone else.
Some people want to travel the globe and see the physical world. I don’t mind traveling and do enjoy seeing foreign lands yet that is not nearly as exciting to be as being in a room full of strangers and traveling together through people’s hopes, fears, joys, tears and stories. Being in a circle of people as they revel themselves and engage in an open, direct way with each other transforms me. My world grows exponentially and I believe I travel further then I could ever travel via train, plane or automobile.
I think it was Jesus who said “whenever two or more are gathered in my name – God is present”. I think that means whenever two or more are gathered and are open and curious about each other they tap into source, God, chi, universal energy, whatever you might call it.
My purpose is creating and experiencing that connection.