As a counselor I sit with people in their pain. I hear the words “what is the purpose?” very often. This is a valid question, especially when we are in the midst of despair. This life seems to be full of suffering doesn’t it? What then is the purpose?
I believe this is a very personal question that can only produce a very unique and personal answer. One that any one person does not have an overarching definitive answer to. Wise or not there is not a one size fits all for this question.
My next words may or may not resonate with you. I believe the purpose of life no matter what your faith, your beliefs, your experiences and your world view, is to find the beauty. Allow me to elaborate. Pain is so potent and we can easily recall those moments. Where we were when we heard a loved one passed on, how we felt when we heard bad news or a human tragedy took place, like 9-1-1.
The anxiety, depression, sadness, and despair are easy to recall and conjure up the memory of for most of us. Finding the purpose then becomes clouded by those dark moments and feelings of gloom. It becomes harder to recall the beauty in the ashes. The hug a neighbor gave you to comfort you, the phone call a relative made to make sure you were okay, the meal a friend brought you to show they cared. These things often times get lost and the purpose we then form is bleak and perhaps meaningless.
Again, this is very personal. My point is in hopes to perhaps shed some sunshine. We can’t stop life from happening, we can’t stop the pain of some of life’s unfortunate events. But if we want to live a life that is founded on the purpose of beauty we must pay closer attention to that beauty.
Allowing ourselves to feel the pain of life’s events but also noticing the beauty sprinkled in. This will allow for a sense of gratitude even in the most dire circumstances. Like the pot of coffee made while you and a friend sit in silence and wait for your child who has not been heard from. Or the long walk taken with your aunt who just let you vent for hours about your unfaithful husband and broken home. Or the mysterious $100 that showed up in your mailbox on the very day you wept and agonized over how you would put together enough for the next meal for your kids.
These and stories like these resemble ones I hear often when I sit with clients in their pain. I see, hear and feel the sprinkles of beauty. What do you hear? Can you hear the beauty or only the tragedy and pain?What we hear and feel and remember in these moments will help form what we perceive as purpose. When asked those daunting words, “what is the purpose” I ask for the reflection. What is the purpose to you?
As always I am here to help anyone who needs help finding their purpose. This life can be rough, let me help you find the beauty. mybeachtherapy.net
