We come into the world with and for a Purpose–or maybe a set of interlocking purposes. These purposes include the need to develop wholeness within ourselves and in our relationships and the drive to make a difference in the world. We discover our own uniqueness in order to make the most positive impact on our relationships and on the world. We are here to grow, love and create.
Our life purpose unfolds and develops throughout our lifetime. In order to become more conscious of the direction and flow of our purpose we clarify our inner vision, strengthen our intention and take action by practicing our purpose as fully as we are able.
Envisioning
True vision cannot be controlled or created with our thinking mind; it arises through attention to something deep within us. We go to the wellsprings of creative inspiration, our dreams and formless feelings. We begin by groping in the dark to find those images just beyond our reach. We invite purpose to take form, to show us a corner of its pattern so that we can bring it into our lives fully. We listen, invite and create a space for something unexpected and new to arise; we do not force or cajole or become impatient. Vision approaches first as a sense of something missing, an unsettling lack of something that we cannot put our finger on.
To invite vision, we:
- Pay attention to what is incomplete – the missing aspects of our lives and selves
- Listen attentively to what we do not want to do, what we never thought would be relevant and important
- Notice the shape of our dreams and imaginings, the direction of our discomfort
- Feel for the patterns that are unfinished, rough around the edges, in need of refinement.
Intention
Using our vision, we look towards what needs to happen so vision can manifest. Intention is the energetic container of vision, an inner conviction that invites/cajoles/moves the vision into the realms of actuality. Intention is the bridge over which vision travels to become real. Intention does not force vision into a preset goal or outcome. It allows it to unfold and flow over time into the shape that is needs to take. There must be a give and take with the requirements of the physical universe so that vision takes on a life of its own.
Without intention that is consistent and firm, nothing can happen. Intention creates a space in the world for something to manifest. It focuses our awareness and attention so that we notice and make use of possibilities.
Action and Practice
Intention requires action to actualize. Action is the work of our heart and mind to bring something into being. Our heart holds the passion, the wishes and the feeling that makes us keep working, while our mind does the planning, the organizing and the procedures that allow something to be constructed and completed. Action is the effective means to bring the vision through intention to fruition.
Taking action requires energy and timeliness. Things can only manifest in time and space when they are ready and all requirements are complete. As we complete the action, when our vision becomes manifest we experience a sense of “rightness” that tells us that we are on the path to fulfilling our purpose.
Vision, intention and action, these are the motors that allow us to engage with our life purpose. As we manifest our vision more fully, as we experience the reality of our purpose, there is a deepening sense of satisfaction and “rightness” that brings depths of joy and satisfaction. We are doing what we are meant to do.