Everyone wants to find their mission in life. People often ask; Why am I here? What impact can I make on this earth? This mission or aligning your inner and outer purpose in life can come from two places – a place to serve and a place to gain an identity or both. Hence, it becomes very important to first search for answers deep within oneself.
Our outer purpose can be anything, but finding that outer purpose can be challenging for many. Our inner purpose is only one, and that is to be self-aware.
It is to awaken to the truth of our reality which is ever-present at this moment. To connect ourselves to that one thing that never changes; our purest being. It exists even when everything dies.
To know that truth is like lying down under the sun and letting the sunshine penetrate your body. Just like to reach somewhere or to know something, we must first be aware that it is missing. So, how do you know that your outer purpose is not aligned with your inner purpose?
When you wake up you feel heavy.
Most of the days you don’t find joy in your work.
It takes a lot of effort to accomplish anything.
Good results don’t keep you happy for long.
You blame life and want to take more breaks
Six ways to align your inner and outer purpose in life
Sit with yourself
Bring it out
Empty your basket
Find your fruit
Plant it
Sit again
1. Sit with yourself
You can’t see what’s stuck in the wheel while it is moving, you can’t see the dirt on the clothes while it is washing, and you can’t see a pebble on the road while you are driving. Moreover, you can’t eat while running. Same way, to observe oneself is to stop, take a pause, breathe, and let everything be still.
There is this zen story where the teacher took the disciple out in the garden and asked him if he could see the moon in the moving water of a bucket. The disciple couldn’t. But when the water became calm, the disciple could see the moon clearly. Likewise, That is what happens when we sit in silence, everything starts to look clearer.
Just start with one conscious breath right now. Yes, take a moment, stop reading further, and take a deep breath. Good job.
2. Bring it out
When you sit in silence, your mind will bring up so many questions, old patterns, fears, and worries. You will have all colors inside the mind before it turns white. I suggest you take a sheet of paper and write everything that comes to your mind. Bring it all out. Just don’t ignore it. I wrote for 3-4 years until I had no questions anymore.
Understand that if there is a thick layer of mud on the walls, you can’t paint it well. You need to shed the excess and level it first to paint it as new.
Similarly, you need to bring out anything that’s in excess which isn’t serving you anymore. As J.K Krishnamurti said – “You need to bring out the known to know unknown as it is important to unlearn to learn something.”
Ask silly questions, talk to strangers, send DM’s, share your feelings, read books, and understand. Do things that bring you peace and closer to the self.
3. Empty Yourself
Buddha coined the term “Emptiness” or “Sunyata” which means a place of “No-Mind,” where there are no ingredients, no taste, no flavor added, not even any food. Just an empty space. When you enter that space, you become one with the whole universe. In that space, there is one common denominator present in everything. See it for yourself while you are reading this.
If you go deep, you will feel there is no difference between you and a strand of grass.
You just need to see yourself from a higher place. The truth can’t hide anymore then. So, just for a moment right now, just drop everything – your name, job, profile, belongings, roles, qualities, hatred, jealousy, love everything. And see what’s left? Just repeat within – “I’m not what can be known”, “I’m not more than I know of me”.
I know it is very cliche but try it – Just imagine that you already died and today you have another day. Wouldn’t you want to live freely now? Or you will still want to carry judgments.
4. Find your fruit
We are all uniquely gifted. My all-time favorite lines to my storytelling children are – “A bird can’t swim and a fish can’t fly. We are all different and people ask why?” Just like some people are naturally drawn to spirituality and some are not.
For instance- I picked up the book “The Power of Now” at the age of 21 when most young adults are figuring what they want to be, I wanted to figure out who am I. If you haven’t yet read it, I strongly recommend it. See for yourself what sets your soul free. It must be something that lets you express your truest deepest self. This expression can take any form -music, dance, art, etc.
Osho said “The reason why people were happier and content earlier was that they were involved in many creative fields” We all have seen our grandma’s stitching or our uncle engaging in pottery. That earthy touch kept them close to nature and in touch with their truest self. They were more in harmony and in peace with themselves and each moment.
5. Start Now
There is only this moment in front of you. You can plan for the future however you can only do the work right now. Time is always NOW. Close your eyes right now and feel what’s one thing that you do right now, that will make other things unimportant.
Find that inner alignment and let it guide you rather than your mind pulling you in hundreds of directions and finally leading nowhere. You are welcome to do less and be more.
In conclusion, when you take action from deep down this is the purest form of action, not the one that’s contaminated by your mind. It takes form as a prayer, as a song, and with each such prayer, your heart gets purer and purer.
If you think you need more clarity, you can check out my online course here –21 Daily Presence Practices – “Abhi Om” (almadhingranow.com)
6.Sit with yourself (Again)
I can’t emphasize enough the importance that this will add during your time on earth. This is what we came here for, to realize who we are. In other words, when we say that we have seen the entire earth by roaming on the surface.
Do you know how many deeper layers the earth has? How can we see the entire earth by not looking at what’s inside there? When you say you know yourself you mean exactly the same way you are saying by roaming on the earth.
Go deeper and peel off all the layers and go even deeper. It is never-ending fun out there. The more you go in, the outer will take care of itself.
As Jesus said in Matthew 6:26: the believer looks at the birds in the sky, that do not reap nor gather into the barns and trust that the Father will provide.
“Abhi OM”
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