RAISON D’ETRE-reason for being.

Have you ever had that moment when you’re sitting at your desk at work, surrounded by people you wouldn’t choose as friends, shuffling papers and repeatedly looking at the clock wishing your day away? Every single passing minute seems to take five, you daydream about some fun activity you would be doing if you didn’t “have” to be there. The menial and meaningless tasks fulfil someone else’s plan and the pay just barely covers your expenses, if you’re lucky, and all the while you ask yourself, “Is this all there is?”

By the evening you’re finally at home, all of your chores are done but you’re too mentally and emotionally drained to do anything other than turn on the TV. You stare at the screen for a few hours as it fills your mind with the worst events and most negative ideas before getting into bed for a restless sleep so that you can crawl out again the next morning and do the same drudgery over again.

When this torturous routine has become as much as you can bare you numb out your unhappiness with alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, pharmaceutical medications, sweets and junky foods, bad relationships and a myriad of purchases you can’t afford. Your health has declined, your attitude is harsh and judgemental, you question your existence so often that you know there has to be more to life than this. It is a matter of life and death, something has to change!

Given that nature demonstrates a function for all life on Earth and we are completely unique individual beings then logic suggests there is a higher purpose and plan exclusively ours and by not following that direction humdrum life will forever erode at our spirit, mind and body until we die regretting our choices or follow our true mission.

How then do we find the route to fulfilment and happiness? The short answer is through discovery, exploration, and questioning, to dig deep within ourselves to find that hidden “something” that ignites our enthusiasm and drives us forward.

The spiritual teachers of ancient and modern times will tell you that the ultimate purpose for all mankind is to serve. What differentiates the individual is the manner in which that service is performed.

So, with our end goal being “service to others” we can begin to examine where our passion really lies and how we can express it for the benefit of others.

As a child we were not concerned with time restraints and we daydreamed, imagined and designed what our life would become and what we would be “when we grew up.” We spent hours lost in activities we loved and never fretted about how our needs would be met. Our journey of exploration into our truest desires must be undertaken with that same child-like intention and without our adult limitations and fears to curb our vision.

Here are some questions to help you explore the inner landscape of your mind:

Do you remember an activity or a topic that you were so fascinated by when you were a child that you spent hours, days or even months fixated on it? You may have role played, learned about, read about or daydreamed about this certain thing.

What did you love to do? Did you paint, draw or make things? Did you like to solve puzzles, fix broken objects or pull things apart to find out how they worked? Did you enjoy helping your parents with certain tasks? Did you have a favourite book, movie or toy that had an appealing theme? Did you have a dream that someday you would be famous? Did you have an activity that your parents had to practically drag you away from to get ready for school or eat your dinner?

What activity, hobby or pastime have you continued to this day or long after your childhood was over? What can you spend hours doing where you lose track of time, hunger or tiredness? What do you think about when you are day dreaming? What do you know so much about right now that you could immediately teach it to others? What problems do you love to solve? What are you good at? What sort of people do you think you could help? What issues do you feel strongly about? What charities do you support? If you had unlimited money and unlimited time how would you fill your days? What sort of events do you attend? What sort of movies and books do you enjoy? What do you love to create? What would your life look like in an ideal world? Do you have a “hero” and what do you admire about them? What do you spend your spare money on?

What is currently in your life that you really dislike? What are you no longer prepared to put up with? What must you change immediately? What sort of people are you surrounded by? Do you admire them? Do they inspire you? What sort of people are you drawn to and repelled from? What is stopping you from living the life of your dreams right now?

What sort of person would you like to be? What traits do you admire that you would like to embody? What values do you hold highest? What education, training or knowledge would you need to succeed in your “ideal” job? What sort of person would you need to be to do that particular job?

These questions assist you to brainstorm about yourself and clarify what you enjoy doing, giving you an indication of where your passion and purpose might lie.

Now, imagine, visualise and design what your ideal day might look like, from the moment you wake up, what tasks and activities you might carry out, your state of mind and body, the people in your life and your chosen environment. Be as specific and clear as you can and include lots of detail, e.g,  colour and brightness, emotion and enthusiasm, specific styles of furnishings and clothes, movement and action, the climate, etc.

By determining what problem you desire to solve, what needs you know you can fill and who the recipients are will lay bare the path of service you are here to provide. The argument of whether your life is predetermined or destined is irrelevant and the appropriate path to take is the one you choose, there is no right or wrong choice but only a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment from contribution and growth and the enthusiasm and energy that a mission brings forth.

To initiate change taking action to begin the journey starts with a simple investigation. What do you want, why do want it and what do you need to do?

It is the “why” factor that inspires and motivates us to take action and carry out our objectives. The vision statement of the outcome we desire is the “what” we intend to do and the “how” are the steps we take.

Just as there is always a polarity in nature there will also be a resistance in you to change at times. By understanding and recognising that it will not always be smooth and easy to carry out your objectives and that you will have moments of great momentum, forward progress and wins as well as delays, procrastination, failures and obstacles you can head toward your future with open eyes and a determined spirit. As it has been said “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

Determination and commitment, focus on a grand and bold vision of possibilities and potential, step by step action and a desire to serve are the key ingredients to a meaningful satisfying life of expressed potentials.