The sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being. Carl Jung

In my early years, I was never curious about why I existed. But if I had, I assume I might have concluded it was nothing more than just taking up space.

Fast forward to my mid-20s when a college co-worker gave me a bible, and everything started to make sense. There is a God who brought heaven to earth through His son, and gave all of humanity the opportunity to receive the gift of eternal life………

There is more to “existence” than meets the eye.

Coinciding with the start of my first job as a physical therapist, I was gifted The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Not only did I now have a relationship with something greater than myself, I also believed I had a unique purpose…….

It’s not about me.

So, why do I tell you all of this? Light can shine in our darkest moments if we have purpose. However, without purpose, there is no light.

And

Without light, darkness is all that remains.

I work with people of all ages. And I can’t help but make some connection between purposeful living and hope. And on the contrary, no purpose…… no hope.

“What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task.” Viktor Frankl (Holocaust survivor)

Due to my love of cliché’s, I will unapologetically proclaim…. existence is more than just surviving. It IS about “thriving”. Not because you “have to”, but because you can.

Not because you need to satisfy some societal, cultural, or religious obligation. No, you are already enough.

However, from that place of completeness, you have the privilege of sharing yourself with something beyond yourself.

Some days you will “feel like it”. Some days you won’t.

And maybe it is on the days that you don’t (feel like it), and you do it anyway, that you unknowingly saved yourself from experiencing something more unpleasant.

“When you can’t find a deep sense of purpose, you stimulate yourself with shallow distractions. When you can’t find meaningful connection, you numb yourself with meaningless pleasure. Being present, opening up, and doing what matters lead to a rich life filled with true vitality.”  Dr Cam Maximus

I sometimes wish I had a magic pill that could give someone hope. Better yet, a pill that would “fix” their physical problems.

But for now, all I have to give is an occasional sliver of……. yes, unsolicited advice. Find purpose.

“Get busy with life’s purpose, toss aside empty hopes, get active in your own rescue” Marcus Aurelius

And

“Your long-term happiness and fulfillment depend on your ability to fulfill your soul’s unique purpose and to fill the place in the world that only you can fill, making the contribution that only you can make”. Rod Stryker

Once you find that purpose, you have one of three directions……

You can choose to hurt, hide, or help.

Hiding from our purpose is the easy road……. “There is someone else out there who can do it instead”. So, do nothing. This seems extremely reasonable when you have a physical limitation.

“Hurting” is much more nefarious. “I can’t “help” (due to a physical limitation), so I will fill my time with something else.  If meaningless time is abundant, you will fill it with something.

But there is a third choice….. choose to help. Help yourself. Help your purpose. Help to bring a light into another’s darkness…….. Whether you feel like it or not. You may never know the impact or get a “thank you” or receive a tangible reward. But you will be rewarded.

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