The purpose of this life journey
I am convinced that humans are the only form of life which agonizes over the question of the purpose of this life journey. We are certainly the only life forms which questions whether or not it is enough to be us; who attempt to prove their worth by attempting to be better than others in a myriad of ways. I was on the phone with a friend early this morning as he was chastising himself for telling stories which were designed to feed his ego; to gain the attention of those to whom he was talking so that he could elicit their emotional support. He needs to feel as if he counts.
Most of us humans look to be more than so that we can feel as if we are enough; that we count. We also attempt to prove that we service some esoteric or spiritual purpose. We create the concepts of a god or gods who we then imbue with human quality of a parent(s) who needs and expects their child (children) to publicly excel by attaining some goal which is considered prestigious. One might excel by having a large corner office, a salary which allow one to have a mega house, many other expensive possessions and memberships which have to be maintained which then requires more work which then leaves little time for loved ones who are to patiently wait in the gilded cage.
There are those who spend their life journey practicing spiritual growth or centerless. If they are lucky they reach a state which rivals that of the simplest animals. The friend with whom I was talking this morning spends a lot of time observing his cats. They seem perfectly happy with their catness. They eat, defecate, hunt if necessary, defend their territory when it seems necessary, groom each other, have sex when the season arrives, play and rest. It appears that they do not spend any time thinking that they should have a purpose other than enjoying their life journey for however long they live. When they die there is no evidence that they want or require elaborate rituals which their humans sometimes plan for them. If left to their own devices they die and return to dust. Cats may grieve when their partner in crime or pleasure is suddenly gone but they move on. If a cat is abused they need the same sort of treatment as humans to heal from the trauma . If they are a feral cat living in a tough neighborhood they will behave accordingly. Never once, as far as it is possible to ascertain, do they question their catness.
What can we then learn from cats and other animals who we often perceive as less intelligent that humans? I suspect that we can learn or be reminded that the more accepting we are of our humanness, the more we are able to settle into a heathy relationship with ourselves, other people and all of existence the healthier we are. Perhaps our purpose is to have a synchronistic relationship with each other, the rest of existence and even with other universes. Perhaps our purpose is to celebrate and honor our relationships and not tasks. Perhaps our purpose is to treat the store clerk with respect and kindness while we incidentally purchased a gallon of milk, got the car repaired, or accomplished some other task
What if we had such a positive relationship with ourselves that we could identify and use our particular talents to restore a healing balance to the universe. What if the plumber, electrician physician, street cleaner, domestic engineer, farmer, and parents were all equally valued and treated accordingly?
What is our purpose? Could it possibly be to be the best version of ourselves as possible within the context of our humanness?
Written August 26, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
I am convinced that humans are the only form of life which agonizes over the question of the purpose of this life journey. We are certainly the only life forms which questions whether or not it is enough to be us; who attempt to prove their worth by attempting to be better than others in a myriad of ways. I was on the phone with a friend early this morning as he was chastising himself for telling stories which were designed to feed his ego; to gain the attention of those to whom he was talking so that he could elicit their emotional support. He needs to feel as if he counts.
Most of us humans look to be more than so that we can feel as if we are enough; that we count. We also attempt to prove that we service some esoteric or spiritual purpose. We create the concepts of a god or gods who we then imbue with human quality of a parent(s) who needs and expects their child (children) to publicly excel by attaining some goal which is considered prestigious. One might excel by having a large corner office, a salary which allow one to have a mega house, many other expensive possessions and memberships which have to be maintained which then requires more work which then leaves little time for loved ones who are to patiently wait in the gilded cage.
There are those who spend their life journey practicing spiritual growth or centerless. If they are lucky they reach a state which rivals that of the simplest animals. The friend with whom I was talking this morning spends a lot of time observing his cats. They seem perfectly happy with their catness. They eat, defecate, hunt if necessary, defend their territory when it seems necessary, groom each other, have sex when the season arrives, play and rest. It appears that they do not spend any time thinking that they should have a purpose other than enjoying their life journey for however long they live. When they die there is no evidence that they want or require elaborate rituals which their humans sometimes plan for them. If left to their own devices they die and return to dust. Cats may grieve when their partner in crime or pleasure is suddenly gone but they move on. If a cat is abused they need the same sort of treatment as humans to heal from the trauma . If they are a feral cat living in a tough neighborhood they will behave accordingly. Never once, as far as it is possible to ascertain, do they question their catness.
What can we then learn from cats and other animals who we often perceive as less intelligent that humans? I suspect that we can learn or be reminded that the more accepting we are of our humanness, the more we are able to settle into a heathy relationship with ourselves, other people and all of existence the healthier we are. Perhaps our purpose is to have a synchronistic relationship with each other, the rest of existence and even with other universes. Perhaps our purpose is to celebrate and honor our relationships and not tasks. Perhaps our purpose is to treat the store clerk with respect and kindness while we incidentally purchased a gallon of milk, got the car repaired, or accomplished some other task
What if we had such a positive relationship with ourselves that we could identify and use our particular talents to restore a healing balance to the universe. What if the plumber, electrician physician, street cleaner, domestic engineer, farmer, and parents were all equally valued and treated accordingly?
What is our purpose? Could it possibly be to be the best version of ourselves as possible within the context of our humanness?
Written August 26, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
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