Reflections on Humans and Our Need for Purpose
I kid you not, the question of “having a purpose” was a theme in my office with at least five humans this week. If you struggle with feeling connected to a greater purpose, I assure you, you are in beautiful company.
I’ve been sitting with the notion that part of our human hardwiring is to find and follow a sense of purpose. Most people processing their complex relationship with purpose also know that collectively, our idea of being ”purposeful” has been co-opted by capitalist values of labor, production and transactional relationships.
When I look to nature for lessons on purpose, I see that a flower is primarily concerned with receiving all the nutrients she may need to grow big and strong––to be the most vibrant and authentic version of herself. And I notice that when she prioritizes her own vitality, bees thrive around her, sharing pollen with the pollinating community. Exactly as she is, she is powerful enough to soften the nervous system of a temperamental human being.
Flowers often teach me that tending to and connecting with myself is what allows my purpose to bloom. The sweetness that being me offers to others is just a natural consequence of nourishing my roots.
What if our purpose is to be as rooted in our bodies as much as we can?
What if purpose doesn't look like constant upheaval or chronic labor?
What if purpose looks more like deep sighs, self-reflection, nourishment towards ourselves, and curiosity about our own nature?
What if our purpose lies in who we are at our core when we are in our truest essence?
What gifts to the world can grow organically from this softer place?
To explore this idea more, I invite you to use these journaling prompts to give yourself some time to imagine:
Maybe purpose was never supposed to be...
Maybe purpose is meant to feel more like...
Deeply connecting to who you are is your purpose, and the felt experience of purpose will emerge from within you. That feeling you experience by deeply being yourself will in turn begin to pollenate those around you.
Take Good Care,
Caroline
