Give it Purpose

People often think purpose already exists or must be found.  However, more often purpose is given. One effective way people cope with loss, trauma, illness, any sort of struggle really, is to give it purpose. I’m sure you have seen many examples of this.  This is where so many organizations come from, when people turn suffering into a mission to help others. We are in the strangest of times right now in this pandemic.  There are a wide variety of reactions to it so far. Some feel we are overreacting, some feel we are under reacting, some are working feverishly to help protect their patients and communities, some are seeking shelter in their home and quietly praying, and some are fortunate enough to simply enjoy the change of pace that’s been forced upon us.  Many of us probably vacillate between all of these. One thing we can all do right now is think about how to give our current reality and experience a purpose. There will be a lot of stress and heartache to recover from for our entire planet when this pandemic is finally under control.  Right now, before that moment comes, before we get the green light to leave home and we start rushing around trying to catch up and return to “normal,” let’s think about what we want that “normal” to  look like, given what we have just experienced. We have an opportunity here, as a planet, to hit the reset button.  We can all notice what it’s like to slow down, to come back to the collective rather than focus on ourselves, to have time with loved ones without watching the clock, to appreciate what we have and not be wasteful, to remember how we are all connected to each other and this planet in a way that can no longer be denied. When I watch what is happening with this purpose in mind., I see people supporting each other, I see compassion again.  I feel a reminder of how much people matter more than money, more than elections, more than our achievements or whatever else usually distracts us from life.  We can see that none of us get anywhere on our own, we are in this life together.  Maybe that’s the purpose behind this whole thing, or maybe it’s just the purpose I have given it. What purpose will you give it?  Write it down, hold on tight to it, so you can remind yourself when that rushing river of our culture tries to sweep you away again, that you have the power to choose the purpose of your life.