Renew Yourself, Renew Your Purpose
These days, we hear a lot about “living a life of purpose.” In fact, a study by the Lovell Corporation found that the Millennial generation (those born between 1994 and 2001) “are driven more by purpose, passion, and impact” (Mercurio, Zach. huffpost.com 2017). They are on to something.
In reality, being aligned with a deeply-felt purpose is just as important to living a healthy life as the food you eat and the air you breathe. That is why in Spring Forest Qigong, we talk a lot about the importance of “finding your Soul Purpose.”
Is there a difference between “living a life of purpose” and finding and living your Soul Purpose? Well, think about this.
Master Chunyi Lin describes the soul in this way: “The soul is the unchanging, most pure part of ourselves.” The purity of the soul is reflected in qualities like truth, unconditional love, wisdom, joy, harmony, compassion, creativity, and peace. So, no matter what outer form your life takes, if, at its heart, it is motivated by those pure qualities of the soul, if it seeks to express those qualities through the form it takes, then it can be called a life guided by a Soul Purpose. At heart, living a life of purpose is really about living your Soul Purpose.
But because a soul is something pure, eternal, and infinite and we must express its qualities while living in a physical world, which is not characterized by things like eternity and infinity, living our Soul Purpose is more than just an idea, or a feeling, or a one-time decision; it is something we have to come to again and again, practically, day by day and moment by moment.
Not only do we have to decide to focus on a purpose; very often, we have to remember to re-focus. Life is always changing. If we have a fixed idea – “I want to live my Soul Purpose,” – then we have to be willing to keep changing, always to be able to respond in harmony with the purity we wish to express. This is why what we do, think, or say is so important.
When everything you say, think, or do is in alignment with your soul’s purpose, life seems easy. When you let life’s changes carry you away from your Soul Purpose, so that what you say, think, or do is no longer in alignment with it, then your energy shifts. The feeling of ease changes to a feeling of being lost or disconnected. There is struggle.
So the real struggle is how to be able to respond with the soul’s qualities, consistently, in the face of change. Is it possible to establish something inside yourself stronger than merely habitual or reactive ways of thinking, speaking, and acting? Is it possible to create new, purposeful habits more supportive of your Soul Purpose?
Because at the end of the day, at the simplest level, we all just want to be happy and healthy. We do not want to think, say, or do things that go against our happiness and health. But… actually changing habits that do not serve our purpose can be difficult; even when we know our actions or thoughts are not helpful, sometimes we just keep doing those things we have been doing.
The good news is, not only can Qigong help you find your Soul Purpose; it can help you to transform your habits so you can live your Soul Purpose. Remember: Qigong is the science and art of transforming energy. Everything is energy. Habits are just ways that energy moves – patterns, – and patterns like to repeat themselves. So, if you have a negative pattern of thought or negative way of using the body, the energy behind those patterns keeps moving the same way, reinforcing the patterns. But, what is true of negative patterns here is also true of positive patterns.
The easiest way to transform the energy of those negative patterns, then, is simply to gently begin to redirect their flow into something positive. When the energy flows to positive ends, new patterns can take shape. Out of this positive flow and these new patterns, balance arises. When your energy is balanced and flowing smoothly, it is so much easier to connect to your soul through the greater purity and stillness of your life. When you stay connected to your soul and its purpose and keep your energy and your life in alignment with it, happiness and health are there to enjoy.
Here are some simple tips to help you redirect your energy towards a more balanced and purpose-filled life:
- Balance how you eat. “You are what you eat,” so if you eat healthy, you become healthy! Eat with the seasons, following a diet that is in harmony with the changes of nature.
- Balance your environment. Reduce clutter and allow the energy of your physical space to flow easily. Condition your home (or even your car) by balancing its energy. At the Spring Forest Qigong Healing Center, the Six Word Chant is always playing. The continuous resonance of the words and vibrations of this chant creates a harmonious, balanced space for all who enter it.
- Do good deeds for others. To see a genuine smile brings true joy to your heart. A kind word or gesture goes a long way. Consider how easy it is to do a quick balancing of another person’s energy by using the Sword Fingers technique and removing their unneeded energy. When you send loving energy back to them with a positive message, you will find your own heart lighter.
- Give yourself a smile. Don’t be stingy about loving yourself! Practice the Five Element Healing Movements, starting with placing a S.M.I.L.E. on your face. Bringing a positive emotion to each of your movements will balance your physical and emotional energy so quickly and so easily!
- Be flexible and bring SFQ into your life throughout the day. Practicing Qigong is as simple as doing a few minutes of energy breathing or standing up and tapping your tailbone when you feel fatigued. These little moments throughout your day add up. Before you know it, you will have accumulated many minutes (even hours!) of Qigong, just by doing little things here and there.
- Trust your intuition. Your Soul Purpose will guide you if you allow yourself to listen to the messages from your heart.
- Connect to your purpose every day:
- Say the Password, “I am in the Universe. The Universe is in my body. The Universe and I combine together.”
- Tell the Universe, “My purpose is: ”
- Say to the Universe, “This is what I want: ______________ .”
- State your purpose when you wake up, say it while driving in your car, and say it when you lie down to go to sleep. Remember: where your attention goes, the energy will flow!
Qigong really is that simple. Changing your habits really is that simple. Finding and staying focused on your Soul Purpose really is that simple. Just remember: make time, and don’t stop. As the ancient saying goes, “Renew thyself completely each day; do it again, and again, and forever again.”