If you’ve ever had the feeling or question, “what is my purpose?” or, “what is it all for?”, or emptiness in the middle of something you love, you know the flatness of that place. You may experience it as anything from a vague, wandering, passionless, directionlessness to lavish success and wealth while feeling meaninglessness, exhausted or unfulfilled.
 
This is about the time you hear people say something like, the money doesn’t matter;
I need to do something that matters; I’m bored; what am I here for?; I want more connection; I’ve got to make more money; I feel flat; I know all the principles, but something isn’t working; I need to serve; I want to meet my life partner; what do I do now? I feel lost… 
 
All of these questions are good, because they are evidence that something is trying to come alive, to awaken that person to more realms of meaning, fulfillment, love, prosperity, vigorous health, peace, ecstasy. And that whatever is not congruent with that will need to be loosed from their current life to make room. 
 
If they run from themselves and chase their significance, they’ll continue to feel empty regardless of what they accomplish, because you can’t find something you already are. If they ride this dragon into the darkest crevices of their fears and who they’re capable of becoming, like the fairytales depict, that darkness becomes their launch pad for their light, like a gymnast soaring for the vault.
 
The truth is, you’ve never not had purpose, you just thought you didn’t. By the time the body (or emotions, or a relationship, a corporation, your finances, or a globe) is sick or in pain or has a disease, from the body’s perspective the chaos or dysfunction or havoc has already happened and the pain is making it visible. 
 
Though we often experience this state as the problem, the body sees it as the solution, as its way to heal (if you’re listening), re-establish homeostasis or simply stay alive. A fever is there to burn out the infection. Flatness is there to awaken you to more joy. If you feel pain, and the pain gets loud enough, you’ll notice. The body, and your pain, want you to be free of what limits you, to come alive, to feel peace, love, ecstasy. 
 
Most people will do just about anything to fill that void or self-medicate to dampen the pain and validate their reason for existing—at least at first. From success and accomplishment, altruistic giving, growing a bigger business, busyness, TV, baby-making, travel, to isolation, denial, addiction, workshops, sex, spending, depression, disease and various chemicals.
 
Your existence is nothing but meaning. You can’t not have meaning. The desire for purpose, or new purpose, or more purpose is an inner invitation to connect with it, for expansion. 
 
RSVP!
 
Don’t settle for homeostasis or staying alive or criticizing where you’ve been or where you are. This dragon is here to take you into the unknown where unlimited good is waiting, into untamed places, out beyond right and wrong, as Rumi said, beyond your current limitations, where your sense of meaning has always existed and your greater self is eager to connect.
 
“Work is love made visible,” said Kahlil Gibran. And dare I say it, money is love made visible. Your body is love made visible. Your work is love made visible. Your relationships.  Anything you bring into being is love made visible. You are love made visible, unless you choose not to be.
 
Here’s the thing, purpose is how you do anything. It is why you do anything. Yes, you have a specific purpose, someone to be that only you can be. Things to create, accomplish, give and love that only you can. However, and this is a big however, purpose can be “found” and expressed in any and every moment. 
 
Imagine putting wood in your fireplace or firepit to start a fire. You can throw it haphazardly in a pile while thinking about something else. Or you can be right there in the moment. Maybe even intentional about how you stack the wood so that it burns efficiently, or looks beautiful, or whatever your desire.
 
Anything you do purpose-full-y is a purpose at that moment and will give you a sense of purpose. A place to begin. To expand. To connect. To be. From wherever you are right now. String together a few bazillion moments of that in a lifetime and you have a very fulfilling life. Joseph Campbell referred to this as following your bliss. A merging of peace and ecstasy from within.
 
And each thing does become its own bliss. Instead of chasing your significance, you realize it is right there with you, in you, it is you. It is always giving you signals to your next realms of purpose and expression that fulfill you deeply with who and what you came here to be, do and give.
 
What do you envision for your 2022? What do you trust and affirm is possible? May it include a festival of great-er love, purpose, peace, connection, prosperity and intentional living. Where you come to know and experience more of who you’re capable of being and see it weave magically with more people like you, of great spirit, vision and action.

Here’s to more of You in this world, 

Shelley