My purpose in life is …
“To support an environment of healing and reconciliation, where others are granted being, so that they may wisely overcome, while being fully and joyously ALIVE”
All the aspects of this statement mean something to me and I do intend to expound on them. For now, I am taking on the “Being Fully and Joyously ALIVE” as my ultimate intention for myself, my loved ones and for all the people I interact with.
What does it really mean to be Fully and Joyously ALIVE?
Life is a gift.
I know little about how Life it manifested itself before we came into this world, and even why it did.
However, what I know is that, despite its mystery, life is indeed a gift.
To remind me of this, (and affirm for myself life qualities that I have come to believe in,) every morning, I get down on my knees in surrender, and with my arms outstretched, I declare:
“I am in AWE of Life; … I am AWAKE to Her Magic; … I am IMMERSED in Her Grace; … I am ALIVE to Her Miracles; … I am ONE with Her Source.”
This sets the pace for my day … and … irrespective of what aspect of my life I am involved in, these attributes of who I am, support me as I set out to make the best of the gift of life and be Fully and Joyously ALIVE
There are Four areas of life I am focusing on just now:
Time and Money Freedom; Health and Wellbeing; Vocation and Life’s work; Love and Relationships.
Time and Money Freedom:
Our lifestyle is such that we need money for the exchange of goods and services. As our lives become more and more complex, this need has become greater and greater and over time, has almost taken over our lives.
The Paradox:
We spend a big portion of our childhood in school, so that we can get jobs, where, as adults, we spend our time and energy, so that we can get money in order to live our lives which we no longer have time and energy for.
I have been no exception. I have indeed lived this paradox … and like many, I hoped that retirement would be that time in life to ease of “work” and begin to “live”.
I have now been retired for about two years … and I am still working.
… and … with a difference.
- My work is aligned with my purpose, values and vision for the world. It intersects what I love, what I am good at and something that is useful to the world.
- My work avails me time freedom and geographical freedom. I work when I want to work and from where I choose to work from.
- My work is not limited in impact nor in remuneration. I positively touch many lives who in turn, touch many lives. My financial trajectory has potential to supersedes the ceilings of my past earnings and thus availing me with the possibility of financial freedom.
I believe that Retirement is an opportunity to explore new ways of being, beyond the limitations set for us in the first phase of our lives.
In the area of Time and Financial Freedom, the internet is a technology that is availing us the opportunity to be Fully and Joyously ALIVE.
Health and Wellbeing:
The vehicle we have been given, with which we are to traverse through life’s journey, is our body.
Yes, certainly our physical body – this goes without saying, and we do a great deal to sustain and maintain its health and wellbeing. Western Conventional Medicine, also referred to as Allopathic Medicine, has invested heavily in this aspect of health and has made commendable achievement in the treatment of trauma and acute illnesses.
We also have other subtler bodies that impact significantly on the overall health of our physical bodies and the quality of our lives in general.
These include:
Our Vital body: - The Life Force within us that in other languages is referred to as “Chi”; “Prana” and “Sharkti”
This in the physical body is represented in energy centers and/or paths and healing practices include Homeopathy, Chakra work in Ayurverda and Acupunture in Chinese Medicine, amongst others.
Our Mental body: - This is in the domain of thoughts and especially the meaning/s we ascribe to them. The physical body organ that represents this is the brain which has a complex relationship with our emotions and our experience/s in life.
Mental health has been the mainstay of Psychiatry and Psychology. Sociological interventions such as counselling and behavior change modifications also tap into this field. Hypnotherapy and Neurolinguistic Programming have a role to play too.
Our Supra Mental Body: - Out of the all the bodies, I am least conversant with this one. It has something to do with our archetypes.
Our Bliss Body: - The is our Consciousness … an aspect of our lives that is receiving a lot of attention at the moment. Practices such as Prayer, Meditation, Mindfulness and Contemplation are said to have an impact on this part of our lives.
My ongoing PhD program on Integrative Medicine, is giving me the opportunity to study different aspects of health and wellbeing. The emerging sciences of Epigenetics, Neuroplasticity and Quantum Physics, have given us the language to articulate some of the mystical aspects of healing and even life in general.
“Being Fully and Joyously ALIVE” … in the area of our Health and Wellbeing … is becoming a possibility too.
Vocation and Our Life’s Work:
This is the area of our lives where we use our time, energy, talents and expertise to be of service to the world.
Beyond a job that one goes to primarily to earn an income, one’s work has an element of a higher calling … and sometimes can be done even without the motivation of financial remuneration.
Unfortunately, our current education system places a lot of emphasis on jobs and the concept of vocation has been left for religious institutions.
There is however hope. Interest is growing on “Meaningful Work” and many individuals, organizations and even some secular institutions are seeking to align their work to concepts such as purpose, values and vision.
I for one, have in the last few years, been privileged to undergo processes where I have identified and continue to understand my purpose, values and vision. Articulating these life fundamentals have not only given me a compass that shows me the direction of my life’s work, they have also come in handy in helping me make decisions around day-to-day choices and ways of being.
The first sixty years of my life was fulfilling in its own way. The education based medical profession that I ended up with was one of the best that one could have had in my time. For this, I am grateful. Very grateful.
It is however in retirement that I am beginning to have a glimpse of my real Vocation. Despite the social elevation that the title Dr. came with, the opportunity to interact vulnerably with other human beings, has been a foundation that I continue to explore as one of the fundamental healing resources we have.
I have come to understand that healing is a two-way process – both the patient and the doctors heals … from “Dis-Ease”.
(To be elaborated further)
My interests in the Person of the Physician during my Family Medicine studies, and that of nurturing a “Healing the Healers’, Caring for the Carerers’ Program” during the last few years of my active practice, have received a new impetus through my studies in Integrative Medicine. Understanding how the doctor-patient relationship impacts on the results of quantum physics concepts of “observation”; “entanglement”; “placebo” and “nocebo” effects and hence the possibilities of “spontaneous healing” has ignited an exploration that is leading to what is proving to be my Life’s work.
Being Fully and Joyously ALIVE in the area of my Vocation and Life’s Work is therefore becoming a possibility too.
Love and Relationships
… mmm …
To quote Susan Jeffers Book, “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway”,
It is indeed my intention to … “Be loving, be loved and love it all”
… mmm …
This is work in progress.
I am however not surprised as it is said that relationships in general and intimate relationships in particular, are tools in our evolution.
I am still evolving …
… and …
“Being Fully and Joyously ALIVE” in the area of Love and Relationships, is a possibility too.
