We are always told nowadays that we have to “live our passion“ in order to have a life that is seen as valuable, meaningful and purposeful by ourselves and others. In many ways, we are way luckier than generations before us - today we are able to choose how we want to live our life, what activities we want to engage in and what careers we want to pursue. The paths for our ancestors were often already laid out for them: follow the profession of your father, marry a girl in the neighboring village, work hard, have kids and raise them, maybe enjoy some years of retirement and die.

But with the abundance of possibilities we are having these days also comes the agony of choice. How can we really know what we’re passionate about? What do we truly want out of life? How can we know if what we desire is our true purpose or is it only imposed on us by society and the media? How is it possible to distinguish one from the other?

Luckily, all of these questions can be investigated with a mindful meditation practice. With the help of meditation we are able to tap into our deepest core, into our truest selves and uncover the dormant calling of our soul. When we quiet our mind, we are able to hear what our awareness already knows deep inside. Then we are able to uncover our passions, identify obstacles that are holding us back to finally align our path with our purpose. From there, we are able to make decisions to pursue interests that nourish our souls and choose careers that align with our deepest values.

Self-Reflection: Purpose comes from within

Essentially, what any meditation aims at doing, no matter if it is a mindfulness meditation or an active meditation practice, is quieting the mind so we can get to a deeper state of existence than the chatter of our thoughts, which are essentially an illusion, keeping us away from a deeper truth. By sitting down and focusing your attention on your breath or observing your thoughts in a non-judgmental manner, meditation helps us to get out of the individual perception.

Consequently we are able to self-reflect upon what is. The deeper we go into the meditative state, the easier it will be to see what our true purpose is, based on our life path. With meditation, we are able to integrate our experiences and derive sense of them. With the help of self-reflection, we are able to set them into the greater context of our live as well as acknowledge our blocks, everything that is holding us back from living the life we truly desire.

In everyday life, often we are often so programmed with the expectations society, culture and media impose on us that it is hard to step away from this illusion and to take our power back. Meditation helps to see the underlying truth of our existence. We dare to ask questions and receive answers from within us. Purpose is nothing that can be found outside of us, it is something we always carry within is, we just have to close our eyes, take a deep breath and listen.

“There’s a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.“ - Rumi

Meditation slows the brain down, quieting our monkey mind, the chatter that always keeps us busy but unfortunately also away from living our true calling. In the silence that follows through meditation lies the true power. We are able to truly listen to our deepest essence, our soul, which is communicating with us through our intuition, the gut feeling we have inside us. Our soul always knows which way to turn and what is best for our soul growth.

Listen to the voice that doesn’t use words, that little feeling inside us that knows what is the right decision for us. Your soul will lead you to your purpose. The divine guidance within us can be activated through meditation and will communicate through us, very subtle, and in a language of whisper, of feeling and of alignment. Don’t ignore it, but follow it.

Let go of your ego

With the help of a regular meditation practice, we are able to silence thoughts and judgments based on our ego self. Our ego is the part of ourself that seeks purpose externally and out of pure self-interest. When we strip ourselves of ego, or are at least able to differentiate the voice of the ego from our higher self, we are able to let go of our fears that keep us small and hold us back from fulfilling our truest heart’s desire. Our ego values the vanity and material possessions of the outer world over inner development. But only when we are able to let go of this state are we able to be truly free and to discover our purpose.

When we are still operating from our ego, we may think we have purpose when we achieve the job we think we want or are telling ourselves that we are doing something for a higher cause.

But this thought comes also from ego and essentially means that if we do not have the career we want or the relationship we are after, we are not operating out of purpose. Purpose is way more subtle. We can only be truly free if we stop externalizing our power and quit the belief that we have purpose only if it fits into societal standards or if others value it. True purpose is very rarely linked to what you think it is, like your career or relationships. It is always a deeper and more encompassing way of living and being able express it in a way that feels right for you.

Purpose is going deep within and experiencing yourself in your fullest human potential. Acknowledging all your wounds and imperfections and alchemising them into your greatest human gifts. Purpose is feeling connected to ourself and our heartfelt emotions and tapping into our essence through meditation, which opens the pathway to new, better and more real, raw and authentic way of living.

Freeing yourself from ego and finding your true purpose can only be experienced and not be explained with words. We are all responsible on embarking on this journey on our own with the help of meditation and loving guidance. So the solution to finding your authentic purpose is to stop looking for it out in the world and be still and silent so you can allow it to emerge from the bottom of your heart. Only then are we able to experience pure existence and bliss.

Here at The Conscious Club we offer many different meditation classes and events that will help you elevate your practice.