Does knowing our life purpose matter?
Does knowing our life purpose matter?
From a recent email I wrote to a mentor:
Hello, my friend, and thank you for sharing your beautifully authentic blog post with all of us today. It touched my heart in many ways, and it got me thinking about what my purpose is for this day.
I tuned into my guidance, and I’m supposed to share a story with you:
I was in line at a spiritual seminar in western North Carolina in July of 2008, waiting to ask the seminar leader how I could best serve my mother as she struggled with the brain damage she’d received in a fall several years earlier. I was doing all I knew how to do to be the caregiver my mother needed, but the ups and downs that go with brain damage had already taken quite a toll on my physical and emotional well being.
I wanted guidance. I received it in a most unexpected way.
The person ahead of me in line asked the seminar leader, “What is my purpose in life?” What a great question!
The seminar leader’s response was, “You may never know your purpose in life. Your purpose in life may have nothing to do with you at all. Your purpose in life may be in helping someone you meet for only a few minutes.”
I was all wrapped up in being my mother’s primary caregiver when it was entirely possible that being there for my mother had nothing to do with my life’s purpose! I began to see my life as a series of opportunities to help people, not knowing which instance of helping someone might be the one for which I’d been waiting my entire life.
Was my life’s purpose delivering the spiritual message I was given during my wannabe heart attack in 2012? During my brief time in the place between life and death, the spirit of someone’s dead grandmother (someone I’d never met) came through and gave me a very specific message for her grandson. I knew I received the message clearly, and I knew it was important for me to do as she asked.
I delivered part of the message two weeks later to the grandson. He yelled at me, causing my already overly stimulated stress hormones to go into overwhelm and stroke out. I’d warned him that I was fragile after the cardiovascular event and that I was to be treated with kindness, gentleness and love. He didn’t believe that I was fragile in that moment, and he didn’t treat me with kindness, gentleness or love. My life as I knew it had been destroyed.
I delivered the rest of the message two years later, once I was strong enough to do so. I don’t know if he used the message to move forward in his life. I broke off contact with him, as I do with anyone who doesn’t honor me or my purpose. It wasn’t mine to know if the message I offered made a difference in his life. I knew I still had to deliver the message. Knowing how much I’ve lost as a result of delivering the message, I am still certain that I did what was right for all concerned.
Was your life’s purpose reaching out to me after several years without contact and encouraging me to bring my work to a larger audience? Whether or not I do anything more with your encouragement, your remembering me and offering me a doable way of bringing my message to the world and recovering financially from all I’ve been through lifted my spirits and helped me believe that there were still kind people in the world who wanted to help me get my life back. What matters more, helping me feel valuable once more or seeing tangible results from your kindness?
I’m glad you are who you are, and I’m glad you do what you do.
Like you, I’ve been very badly hurt by caring about people who were having a different life experience than me. I’m still going to be me, and I’m glad you’re still going to be you. When my resolve falters, when I wonder if what I’m doing is really making a positive difference in the world, I remember the quote I’ve been carrying in my head since the death of Chester Bennington of Linkin Park: “You can’t be afraid of people willing to hurt you, cause if you fear life, you’ll never live.”
In case helping me is your life’s purpose, I thank you, from my heart. Even if it isn’t, I thank you, from my heart.
Love and Blessings to you and your family,
Sheryl
Are you ready to live your highest life? Are you ready to make a difference in the world? I’m a Love of Life Catalyst, helping people like you find purpose, value and connection in their lives. If reading this post resonates with you, I invite you to contact me at love@transformingthroughlove.com to arrange a free, no obligation 30-minute consultation. Perhaps you and I are a professional match for each other. Blessings and peace to you.
Copyright 2017 by Sheryl Hirsch-Kramer. All rights for any further use reserved. For permission to repost or reuse the above only in its entirety, fill out this form: http://www.transformingthroughlove.com/contact/ The information presented at www.TransformingThroughLove.com and during coaching sessions is of a general nature and is not intended to be use as legal, medical or professional advice. None of the information on this website is intended as a substitute for the counsel of a qualified doctor/physician, nurse, pharmacist, or other trusted health professional. Always contact your own health care provider to assist you with your medical or health issues. The information presented here is entertainment, information that is only meant to support you while you are being cared for by your own health care provider during your life’s journey. It is not intended to be used as stand alone legal, medical or professional advice. We cannot and will not take any responsibility for the results or consequences of any attempt to use or adopt any of the information presented on this web site as legal, medical, or professional advice. Always consult your physician or trusted health professional to design a treatment plan for your own or for another’s wellness. All the information on this website is intended solely as loving support intended to accompany traditional medical care, not as stand-alone advice. We appreciate your donations; please send a message via the contact form for donation instructions.If you like what you’re reading here, please forward this website to a friend: http://www.transformingthroughlove.com.
