Reflecting on your Life Purpose
Pause to allow your mind to ponder and analyze what you want and how you feel.
Apr 26, 2006
The formula for a happy life is to build personal development with the inspiration of life purpose. Earlier articles described the importance of life purpose and the role of meditation in clarifying purpose. Another critical life skill you'll find helpful is reflection. To reflect is to look within quietly and calmly. While meditation quiets your mind so you can hear the small voice of intuition or spirit, reflection uses your mind to ponder and analyze; both are useful tools of personal development.
One of the keys to personal development is understanding your beliefs. As we grow and gain experience we build a data bank of beliefs. When encountering a situation, we subconsciously look into the belief data bank for guidance. Most beliefs are helpful to our daily lives, keeping us safe and alive.
For example, I stop and look both ways before crossing a street. I believe that being hit by a two-ton vehicle will threaten my life. On the other hand, when I cross my lawn I don't stop and look both ways because I believe that the occupants of my lawn are of little danger to me. Granted, this is a trivial example, but we have countless beliefs which similarly govern our behaviors.
So what? Some of the beliefs you've stored may be inhibiting personal development. If you find yourself frustrated by the inability to move forward on some aspect of your life, a stored belief is likely the cause.
Try this: Find a quiet place and make a list of all the exciting ideas you've had that failed to materialize. You may have had ideas for new products or services you could offer, or exciting places you'd like to see, or work you'd like to do, people you want to get to know better, etc. If an idea came to you with energy, inspiration, and excitement, yet you somehow failed to follow through on it completely, you have a belief that held you back.
Often these inhibiting beliefs are things like:
- I'm not smart enough
- I can't afford it
- People will laugh at me
- I'll fail
- Who am I to attempt such a thing?
Sound familiar? Now, is the belief true? That's for you to decide after you've brought the subconscious belief out into the open and examined it. Maybe Aunt Bertha told you "You'll never make it in the real world" when you were ten years old and you believed her. Is it true now that you're a functioning adult?
Sharpen your awareness and watch yourself as well as others. What beliefs are driving your behavior today? Reflect upon and challenge every belief. Some are helpful. Some are not.
