As someone with an abiding love of all things self-development, I’ve been known to spend a lot of time all up in my gray matter. Podcasts, books, videos – the more, the better! And nothing better to fuel the next existential crisis.
It has take me a while to realize that approaching change and improvement with intention and calm decisiveness is MUCH better than the chaotic, “throw it all on the wall and see what sticks” overwhelm that marked many of my past attempts at figuring out “my true purpose”.
As with true loves, I think true purpose may be a romantic notion that keeps us from appreciating where we are and what we have NOW. It’s much easier to wait for the perfect person, job, situation etc. to come along that to get up each day and follow the path set before us. Our human brains love indecision and confusion because then they don’t have to do the heavy lifting. Just sit back and wait for opportunity to come our way.
But we are not called to sit back and watch the world go by. We are wired to find fulfillment in contribution. We are created to create. To put something out into the world that wasn’t there before.
In a counterpoint yesterday’s post, Consumed, creating causes us to turn our focus outward, away from ourselves. We become attuned to the needs of others. Our personal concerns and worries fade into the background a bit as we take a break from our self-centered navel gazing.
As creators, we are contributing to our corner of the world – or maybe the whole world. We are taking action, accepting risk, moving forward, leading others to do the same. And the true creators are not seeking accolades and awards. They have simply learned to tune in to that frequency inside each of us. They’ve received and accepted the call from their creator to go out and make an impact beyond themselves.