A friend posted an article about "purpose" that has continued to generate some deep introspection. The article discussed a simple, straight forward way to shed some light onto what our true life purpose is. Three questions...not difficult to answer, but the answer itself may be surprising for some.
Freedom & Independence.
My three answers nuggeted my life purpose down to Freedom & Independence. And it's true. I can look across the span of my entire life through this lens, and it makes perfect sense. Every person has their own purpose, of course...but sometimes our lfe purpose intersects with another's, which is the case with my friend, whose purpose was uncovered to also be Freedom.
Common journeys.
I probably already knew that Freedom was the common thread of spirit that linked us, but it still surprised me that I hadn't figured that out, before. I then wondered how our collective lives could be different if we as a humanity knew what each other' life purpose was, and proactively supported them more intently. But, like most important life lessons, t's not that simple.
Common journey...uncommon path.
It's also nothing new that there are an infinite number of ways to achieve the same goal, and that is most surely true of my friend and me. Freedom may be a common journey, but the path that we each take to manifest this purpose couldn't be more different. Her path inspires me, but aspects of it terrify me, as well. And I am certain that the way that I walk my Freedom path would never be a path of choice for her.
Common journey...divergent paths.
There is another person in my life whose life purpose is also Freedom & Independence. But the problem (for me) is that watching him walk his path doesn't just terrify me, it hyperventilates me. As a diabetic, he flirts with death every single day by eating anything and everything he wants, and I can't watch it any longer. I can accept that he may have the right to die from "death by diet," but that doesn't mean that I am bound by any code of duty or obligation that forces me to participate even as a passive bystander.
This layer of acceptance is not easy, and has not come without great personal struggle. But I just can't watch this man I have loved for nearly all of my life eat himself into a diabetic coma.
I can't. And I won't!
The difference between my friend's path and my dad's is that I can very clearly see how much personal joy her path brings to her world, even though parts of it terrify me. I can't see that with my dad's path...I only see addiction and self ruin. That is his choice, of course...but it is also my choice to be around it (or not).
Knowing something doesn't make the hard choices any easier.
Freedom is a fickle friend. The price can be high, sometimes with an unbearable loss. Perhaps there are some with a greater sense of compassion than I, who could walk this journey to a dark and dangerous personal freedom with someone they love dearly...but I just can't.
That doesn't mean that I will abandon him, or the relationship I've worked so long and hard to get to a good place....because I can't do that, either. But I will find the path that intersects our common thread in a way that allows me walk with ALL of my heart...because I also want nothing less than this for my dad, too.
For anyone interested in reading the article mentioned in this blog, it can be found at the link below. But, proceed with caution, as the truth may set you free...whether you are prepared for it, or not.
http://m.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2F2015%2F01%2F23%2Fdiscover-your-life-purpose_n_6481866.html%3Fir%3DHealthy%2BLiving%26ncid%3Dfcbklnkushpmg00000030&h=FAQG-Zg1e&enc=AZN48nMtbkKlOKwFjOrWR4HWOwWa5UaM4CjG1txZ4mNV5yd0YcxdRHhl28HRux13mCwMy9kZSzgtT0pWJmGMcHaX
