Finding Your Purpose

by Jane Murray

Most people find spring to be a time for renewal. All it takes is a warm breeze caressing our cheek and new life bursting forth from the earth to remind us that this is the time to pursue our goals and explore new paths. It sounds wonderful but how do we know which way to turn? Experiencing fulfillment is not as difficult as you might think.

Last fall, I decided to take a trip to my favorite nature center. It was harvest time and I was ready to distill the experience I had gained from a season of growth. I walked along the path admiring brilliant red maple leaves still clinging to their branches. My nostrils filled with the musky smell of the woods. I slowed down and made a conscious effort to blend in with nature. I breathed a sigh of relief. Just moments ago, my mind had been a buzz of thoughts. As I moved deeper into the woods, I became more aware of the sounds that filled the air. I noticed the rat-a-tat-tat drumming of the woodpeckers. I watched a red-bellied woodpecker effortlessly glide up and down a nearby tree and remembered the wisdom of Michigan’s First People, the Anishinabeg. Indian people believe that each creature is born with a purpose. Animals, birds and insects are born knowing what to do and how to do it.

Only humanity struggles with its place in the greater whole. Life doesn’t always make sense to us. As I walked through the woods on that crisp fall day, I was reminded of a woman who attended one of my workshops at the Kalamazoo Women’s Festival. She was in her fifties. She and her daughter came to the workshop together. She raised her hand and told me she was trying to find her purpose in life. She said she had been reading some New Age books and they spoke of the importance of having a purpose. She wanted to know hers. Her search is the essence of life. Humanity has pondered the question for centuries.

Without purpose, birth and death have no significance. What she didn’t realize is that she already had the answer to her question. She and most of the rest of us make things more difficult than they need to be.

Modern culture continues to become more complex. With the increase in technology, the appetite for bigger and faster has grown. So has the desire to control one’s destiny. Life and purpose don’t work that way. Both unfold slowly. If you want to discover your life purpose, begin by asking yourself three simple questions. First, did you just take your last breath? It may sound trite but continuation of the life cycle is the first step in fulfilling life purpose.

Second, ask yourself if you have you gained any knowledge that has been refined into wisdom by your life experience. Distilling knowledge into spiritual wisdom is the second element in fulfilling life purpose. Most of us succeed in this process as we grow older. It is amazing what can be learned through the school of hard knocks, especially if we don’t harbor a lot of anger and resentment. Third, ask yourself what you have done that has helped someone else or made the world a better place to live. Most of us have helped others but don’t take the time to appreciate the positive impact that we make in the world. The woman in my class had raised a lovely daughter. Both were improving their lives by attending a women’s conference and they were improving their relationship by doing it together.

Finding a purpose in life doesn’t have to be complex. The problem is that we think we need a roadmap for the rest of our lives. With the emphasis our culture places on competition, it is easy to think you have to be someone special. That isn’t true. Each of us has a place in the greater plan. It doesn’t matter whether you are a brain surgeon or the bagger at the grocery store. Each provides a service to the community. Among the Anishinabeg, the greatest leader was only the first among equals. We would do well to remember that and take one day at a time. That doesn’t mean that it is not important to discover what you do best and develop your talents. Finding what we love to do and doing it brings passion and creativity to what might otherwise be a mundane existence.

Jane Murray, whose Ojibwe name is Shawanah, is a professional storyteller and workshop facilitator. She is listed in the 2003-2006 Michigan Arts and Humanities Touring Directory. Contact her for information or to schedule programs and workshops at 269-651-8998 or jemjane@hotmail.com.