“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.”   Helen Keller

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.”   Henry David Thoreau

I think we all struggle with this because life sometimes makes it hard not only to explore what our life purpose is, but to find the time and the resources to act on it (once we do). I, for one, am tired of being at odds with my true life purpose. I want my heart to sing every day on my way to work. I want my work to matter, to make a real difference in the world. And I want that for you too.

So, how do we do it? How do we get ‘there’ from ‘here’? How do we begin to define and live our life purpose? First, we start by getting in touch with the dream or dreams we once had for ourselves (and maybe still do) and begin to write them down. Look to your childhood dreams if you are having difficulty. Writing down our dreams paints a picture that we can see which feeds our subconscious mind and serves as a daily reminder that our life has a higher purpose.

I will start by sharing my life purpose. My hope is that it will inspire you to work on yours. Once you do, share it with us if you feel so inclined or put it up in a place where you can be reminded of it daily. You will be amazed how much better you will feel by having the courage to explore and document your life purpose. It opens the way for it to become your reality. Here goes…

 My life purpose

To be the best person I can possibly be by being willing to “own my stuff” and to go where my curiosity takes me. To be willing to take what I’ve learned and inspire others to try new things or embrace new belief systems.

To spread light and sunshine and positive thoughts wherever I go, to show people that life is wonderful and that dreams are possible. To show compassion and empathy for people no matter what their situation is, and to remind them (and others who may judge them) that “this too shall pass.”

To change people’s perception of the world and their role in it by helping them to see that we are all connected and we must work together for the sake of our humanity. To lift people up when they are down and help them to find their own path again, to be a champion for the underdog.

 To do my part to make the world a better place, which means being an agent for change whenever I feel inspired to do so (and mostly with children and animals). To embrace my God-given talent to write and speak to others about dreams and possibilities.  To be a healthy, happy, and spiritually centered individual. 

This says it all, does it not? We are all connected. No matter where we live, what we look like, what religion we practice (or don’t practice), how much money we have or don’t have, and how much we wish it wasn’t true. It is. And because it is we succeed together as the human race or we fail together. You can not achieve true success and lasting happiness while one person walks the earthplane with sadness in his or her heart or an empty, bulging belly.

I know some of you don’t like to think this is true. Daresay, I think you wish it wasn’t, but it is. Why do you think it is so hard to hold onto happiness or success or anything in this world? It is because you are building your foundation on quicksand. This is the very nature of the world. It is fleeting, unpredictable, and heartbreaking (at times) and will forever be. Instead, begin to build — or fortify — your spiritual connection with yourself and with others. This is what is lasting and true. This is what yields happiness and success of the Heavenly kind.

And with this sure foundation comes a responsibility to do your part, to help out, to not shield yourself from the horrors of the world. Rather, jump in and do all you can. Throw caution to the wind. Get the ego and the fear out of the way. When you do, the whole world rises to meet you, and as a human race, we get one step closer to Utopia.

Instead of acting separately, focusing on just your little corner of the world, begin to move out and embrace everyone and everything. Your soul is calling you to reclaim its greatness. Are you ready to rise to the challenge? Spend a few quiet moments a day waiting for inspiration on how you can do your part in this world. There are so many who need you. They are waiting…

I think part of it feeds my ego (the part that disgusts me) and the other part of it feeds my soul (the part that fascinates me). I watch the celebrities parading their beautiful bodies down the runway with screaming fans trying to catch a glimpse of what they are wearing, how their hair looks, and I think, “Wow, what is wrong with this society, what is wrong with ME that I would be into this?” Seems contrary to everything I believe in. Yet, the payoff comes later when we all review the work they’ve done, the talents they’ve shared, and I am inspired because I recognize that some of them have tapped into their God-given talent, they have accessed something magnificent within themselves, and they are sharing it with the world. This is a testament to what we can all do, for we all have GREATNESS within ourselves.

Furthermore, I am inspired by what some celebrities do with their “celebrity” to change the world. Look at Oprah www.oprah.com for example. Every thing she does she does to inspire, change, and empower others to greatness. This is a testament of what one person with an elevated consciousness (and awareness) can do. Look at Bono, Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore and a whole host of others as additional examples.Some people say (myself included at times), “well, sure they can afford to help out because they have millions and millions of dollars, and people will listen to them because they are famous. I’d do that too, if I had that kind of money or fame.” But, the question REALLY is: Would you step outside yourself and do your part to change the world if you could? 

If the answer is “yes,” then you must begin doing it now, today! You don’t need a global platform or a fortune to change the world. You can begin to change the world right now wherever you are, with whatever means you have or do not have, by simply practicing random acts of kindness WHENEVER you can. This is very simple to do. Buy a homeless person a cup of coffee, pay the toll for the car behind you, open the door for an elderly/disabled person, or say a prayer for someone who needs it. The point is to expand your awareness and to begin embracing the idea that we are all connected and when you help one person (no matter how small the gesture may appear to be) you are helping the world. As a result, you are opening up your greatness to shine through. Give it a try and then sit back and watch the miracles unfold, and they will!

I am continually amazed by how many brilliant people are not living the life they were born to live. So many of them don’t like their jobs, they are unhappy in their relationships (or are waiting around for Mr./Ms. Right to come along to complete them), or they just feel generally blah about the state of their lives. Yet, they settle for this unfulfilled lifestyle. In fact, many have a whole host of excuses and rationalizations for why they feel they must carry on shouldering this burden of complacency and sadness. And, all the reasons they come up with seem to make sense to them because society has conditioned them to “own” their responsibilities and obligations, to “have” goals, or to “do” a whole host of other things because they are the “right” things to do. But, if all this stuff is “right,” why are they despondent, overburdened, and unhappy? Why are they chained to living a life at half capacity? Why are they not singing for joy every single day of their lives? Are you like this? If so, consider this…

Within you lies true brilliance and magnificence just itching to get out and soar to greatness. The same is true of every man, woman, and child upon the earth (even the seemingly bad ones), which means we are all connected. Evidence of this is all around you: You feel it when you see the glimmer in someone’s eye when you speak to them about possibilities and they become joyful; you witness it when you discover in someone a long buried dream from childhood and the hope that maybe the dream is not lost; or you embrace the sadness when there is a tragedy and whole groups of people are suffering. This greatness, this connection to each other, this understanding that we are all one lies within each of us. It is not gone. It is right there under the surface.

Yet, we lose sight of it, and we go searching for it elsewhere trying to find the perfect job, mate, or house to make us feel inspired or fulfilled. And, we go round and round and never fully capture it, do you? But, it doesn’t stop the longing or the desire for greatness. That’s why we jump at the first person who comes along who seems to carry “the answer.” It’s because we long for lasting meaning and fulfillment in our lives.

We want to believe that we can be more than we are, which is why we grasp onto the messages of others. Why do you think that books like The Secret are such bestsellers? Why do you think Barack Obama is attracting such an incredible following? Why do you think people love Oprah? It’s because these people and publications speak of possibilities, speak of greatness, speak of our own true magnificence. So, we grab onto them because somewhere very deep we know it’s true, yet we have lost our way. I say we MUST begin to inspire ourselves, to grasp onto what is magnificent about us.

We don’t need others to tell us how to get there for within each of us lies the incredible, infallible wisdom to “know” for ourselves. I challenge you to begin to discover ways to connect with your inner knowing and let it guide you to your path of greatness, to discover the life you were born to live. Spend at least two-three minutes a day meditating or quietly reflecting. Be easy with yourself and don’t put too much pressure to “do,” just try to “be” with yourself. Go someplace, be with someone, or do something inspiring, something that enables you to quiet your mind and be with yourself.

If you get a glimmer of your own true magnificence, share it with us as it may lighten someone else’s load on this journey of inspiring greatness.