4.15.2012

What’s Your Song?

Everyone is looking for something. We’re all running around in circles, on this great big planet, trying to find the purpose of our lives. What’s the meaning behind all of this? What is the song that I came here to sing? The inevitable question that all of us grapple with at one point or another: What am I supposed to be doing?
                                                            
Albert Einstein is famously known for how he would solve an issue. If he had sixty minutes to find a solution, he would spend fifty-five minutes defining the question, and the other five minutes on finding the solution. Perhaps therein lies our problem. Maybe we need to take a long look at our question itself: “What am I supposed to be doing?” Often times that question gets reduced to, “What should I do to make a living?” It's a valid question on its own – but not what we’re talking about when we’re looking for the ultimate purpose of life. To take it even further, I think the word “doing” in the question is really what misinforms our investigation.

 When we talk about “doing,” in a spiritual context, somehow the words fall a little empty. I, for one, feel that it’s true that I should try my best to take conscious, life-enforcing actions each day. Yet, it’s also important to have one eye looking out through the window of eternity. Really, what can one person do to add to this massive place we call Earth -- a place that has gone along without us for over four billion years? In today’s world, we can change what we do as often as we change our clothes. There is a fair share of information to help us with this "doing," and that information keeps changing to guide the elusive nature of this question. However, when it comes to our inner world, this question might not be as important as we make it out to be. What, then, is a better question to ask?  If the doing is constantly changing, is there something that is with us all the time?

That’s where I see an answer staring right back at me, quietly gliding in and out through my entire day, mostly unaffected by what I am doing. It’s a shift from, the “what” to the “how.” From “What am I supposed to be doing?” to “How am I living?” What is the state of mind that I’m carrying around with me all day? It’s that BE-ing which we carry ourselves with, live deeply with when no one else is looking – that’s what we’re doing with our lives.

What is the song that I came to sing? Maybe I’ve been a part of the symphony all along, and everyone around me has heard every word – except me. The purpose of a river is just to flow. It doesn’t stop to ask for directions or sets out to find its song. Or look for the name of the ocean it will eventually merge with. She just keeps on flowing. She trusts that whatever brought her here in the first place will take her where she needs to go.  Its secret, which she whispers if you listen closely: Stop your searching and start your living.  You’re already half-way down the road. There is no purpose to life. Life is the purpose. 

(Post inspired by last Wednesdays meditation circle)

14 comments:

  1. "She trusts that whatever brought her here in the first place will take her where she needs to go."
    Amen! :)
    metta...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Vinod! :-) With the hustle and bustle of living, I tend to forget that one easily. Glad you resonated with it as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like it Guri, there is no purpose to life. The question of the purpose is only important to define our identity. But why is so important my identity if life is bigger than me? I will become with life I will flow with its purpose. This simple principle is easy to understand but difficult to keep it in mind every moment.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Yolanda,

    How are you? I think you hit the nail on the head when you say, "the question of the purpose is only important to define our identity." I agree and feel that it's associated with the survival part us , the ego. If we recognize our oneness and let go of our fears and insecurities associated with that, beautiful actions happen naturally. :-) Thanks for sharing. Hope you're doing well. Love, guri

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear Guri,
    Lovely post.. I highly resonated with this line:

    "What is the song that I came to sing? Maybe I’ve been a part of the symphony all along, and everyone around me has heard every word – except me."

    What a brilliant start to my day to read this post...

    Hugs and gratitude,
    Sheetal

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous4/16/2012

    hi,

    I loved the post, too good. This line in particular open up a world of realisation for me : 'What is the state of mind that I’m carrying around with me all day? It’s that BE-ing which we carry ourselves with, live deeply with when no one else is looking – that’s what we’re doing with our lives.'
    I think here lies the secret , not our career, not our external or social lives but state of mind which defines how we are living or lives.
    It's a beautiful and I am equally inspired by the comments on it.
    Thanks for posting Guri and each one of you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anon, thank you for your sweet note. That line was an aha moment for me also. :-)

    Sheetal, I was actually going to send you a link because I thought you would relate to this post. Glad you found your way here. Hope all is well with you. Love, g-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your words sing Guri, always! Thank you for your wonderful post - truly insightful and incredibly comforting :)
    I have a website called iaminthismoment - http://iaminthismoment.com/ - I created it as a place for people to share whatever they feel like sharing...I hope you like it!
    Alice

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks Alice! And just checked out your site. What a beautiful concept! I love the immediacy (is that a word?) and simplicity of it. Will certainly pass it on to others. Beautiful! Love, g-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Such a great post, Guri- and came exactly at the right time on the right day! thank you for helping me face another day with more inspiration.. lots of love!

    ReplyDelete
  11. bAEutiful hermana Gurita! :-)

    Glad that you are back sharing your wisdom in this form. Here's something "Dr. Om" shared this morning: "I love to live like the river flows, surprised by my own unfolding." Isn't that something? :-)

    big hugs + bigs smiles :-) Please share the love with Pepe ;-)
    Panchito

    ReplyDelete
  12. Lavanya4/22/2012

    Thanks Guri! "She trusts that whatever brought her here in the first place will take her where she needs to go." "Stop your searching ad start your living" This came on the heels of a long soul-searching I have been doing for the past 2-3 weeks. Your timing is wonderful :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Guri, reading this just turned may day around, and hopefully tomorrows day and the day after and the day after.
    I am struggling greatly with what to do, and it makes so much more sense to take action and focus on HOW I take that action, with what heart? with what intention.

    Thank you for the beautiful post!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Pancho, that's beautiful. Love that! :-)

    Tathata, Lavanya, Lahar...thank you. Lovely to see the serendipity in timing.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.