Finding Purpose with Mindfulness
For most of my life, I didn’t feel a purpose.
I remember waking up for school with a heavy energy and a strong desire to pull my covers up over my head and never bring them down again.
I wasn’t aware that purpose was a missing piece. Personally, my lens of life was dark and muddied – if it was there, I wouldn’t have been able to see it.
In college, I started to make changes in small daily moments that shifted my mindset and actions. Only looking back, I can see how purpose was starting to show itself to me. Purpose was always present, but of course.. forgotten.
When we aren’t aligned with a purpose, we feel disconnected.
Disengaged with a task we have to complete.
Distracted in a conversation we’re in.
Unintentionally scrolling a feed.
Uncertain in making a decision.
It’s not wrong to get distracted. It’s not wrong to be uncertain.
Over many years, I’ve danced this journey of moving from disconnection to connection, lacking purpose to cultivating purpose. When we listen and learn from our feelings, this energetic cycle can guide us to be better and do better.
Our emotions are messengers and our relationship to them determines their purpose for us. Our awareness can guide us back to the present moment with greater power. Emotions can come to us as calming waves, nudging us to our shore of joy.. or we can block them and refuse to listen until they become a tidal wave that knocks us down to wake us up. When we fear our emotions, we lose the rich guidance they offer.
Several months ago, I listened to Eckhart Tolle share a perspective that clarified purpose from two angles: an inner and outer purpose.
Inner purpose is the pathway to joy.
It’s in the present moment. It’s a state of being, a formless energy.
Outer purpose is the pursuit of happiness.
It’s to arrive at a desired goal. A state of doing, a formed outcome.
Many of us could probably agree, purpose gives meaning to our lives and serves as a compass in guiding our choices. Many of us could probably also agree, we find ourselves distracted or disconnected often. We may even put too much emphasis on our outer purpose in aims of achievement and lose our connection to joy in this moment.
Finding purpose is an active choice, moment by moment.
With a clear understanding of the meaning behind an inner and outer purpose, it can shift how we move through our lives.
Let’s say your goal is to get food for tonight’s dinner. You’re pursuing your outer purpose.
During your walk to the store to get groceries.. your mind wanders to the past and to the future. You think about how you planned to cook at 6pm and now it won’t be until 7, you start to rush your steps anxiously thinking that your partner will be upset with you. Thoughts from earlier today circulate about the mistake you made at work and what your boss probably thinks of you, attempting to mentally course-correct a past that can’t be undone. You’re missing the present moment.
You’re unaligned with your inner purpose.
Let’s say instead..
During your walk to the store to get groceries.. you mindfully feel into your surroundings. You see beautiful yellow flowers, early signs of the spring bloom. You feel gratitude in your heart for the gentle warm weather. You smile as you lift your head and joyfully greet a stranger as they walk by.
You’re aligned with your inner purpose.
We may all be at different stages with our purpose.
You may have a strong inner purpose – calm, present, and joyful. You may lack clarity on how this energy channels into your outer purpose. I hope you take in the gratitude and acknowledgment that you’ve connected with the most powerful purpose of Life. Know that as you continue to hold this energy, your outer purpose will start to show itself to you. Keep that intention.
You may have an outer purpose – you’re making an impact but you feel disconnected, tired, or overworked. The best gift you can give to those you support is your own personal joy, tune in to your inner purpose. Listen to the signs that your energy may share with you, whether to slow down.. take a walk.. do an activity that you enjoy or make time for rest. Your joy is our joy, too.
You may feel stuck.. disconnected from your inner and outer purpose. Connect with the present moment! Is there an inner purpose you can connect to today, a joy you can cultivate? Are your emotions asking for your attention with a message of direction? Mindfulness and meditation are practices that can guide us in strengthening our inner purpose. As you build this connection, you’ll uncover signs for your outer purpose. It’s a moment-by-moment, daily commitment.
Mindfulness is a practice that highlights purpose in everyday moments.
Mindfulness is moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and surrounding environment viewed with a curious, kind, and loving perspective.
The perspective shares there’s no right or wrong way to feel in a given moment. Mindfulness places you in the seat of witness to your experience in a relaxed state of awareness. It suspends judgment and expands curiosity. It allows us not to overly react or become overwhelmed. We start to notice how we’re feeling and the thoughts that surround it. We show up to ourselves with loving kindness to hold space for any emotion.
Shaun Shapiro, a mindfulness researcher, frames three core elements of mindfulness: attention, intention, and attitude. These are three ingredients to reframe our focus in our everyday moments.
1. Intention is the why.. our vision, goal, or aspiration.
Intention is a mental commitment to carry out an action. It sets the compass of your heart, the direction you want to head. The why behind what you’re doing. Your personal vision, goal, aspiration. It reminds us what is most important.
2. Attitude is how we pay attention.. with acceptance, curiosity, and loving kindness.
Our attitude is what’s in our control. To accept the given circumstances. To remain open and curious.
3. Attention is deliberate focus in directing our concentration.
Where attention goes, energy flows. It’s easy to get distracted in the age of technology and infinitely accessible noise.
Mindfulness allows us see what we are giving our energy to and cultivate a loving awareness with our thoughts.
Do we believe and act out everything our mind tells us? Are we clear on what our inner and outer purpose is? No need to place pressure for our mind to figure out.. we set the intention and cultivate a practice where it can show up in some parts of our lives and slowly grow into each moment.
When you find yourself distracted, disengaged, or uncertain.. practice mindfulness by asking yourself these 3 questions:
1. What’s my intention?
2. How’s my attitude?
3. Where’s my attention?
Through daily moments, we can check in with our purpose through the practice of mindfulness. We can pause, reflect, and hold space to clarify our intention, align our attitudes, and focus our attention. This brings us back to our power in the present moment and guides us to joy.