There were so many comments based on yesterdays post about "Living Life with Purpose" that I am going to give you my two cents as a response to some of those comments....along with some photos I took this morning as I was packing for Pennsylvania that illustrate what I am going to tell you (LOVE how that happens..I took the photos BEFORE I read the comments. God talked to me through tangled and knotted Embroidery floss..just read, you will get it... )
Here is part of what Mariam said: I am still searching for my purpose in life, and I hope I will find it someday.
My suggestion is to NOT SEARCH like you are looking for a hidden treasure (even though it is a treasure!) Searching would be like looking at this trying to find the end of the string and that is not only aggravating, but exhausting.
WHAT A MESS (and guess what, I created it)
Instead of "Search" maybe "seek" and just plain ol' ask. Personally, I spent a little too much time in life thinking (and believing) that "I did not know what I wanted to do" in terms of career, college, etc. and spent 10 times more time doing what I wanted to do, instead of paying attention to my individual skills, abilities and talents, which caused the knots and tangles which lead to anxiety and frustration.
Dang it!
Here is what I do now..
Ask, Listen, Pay Attention and remember that the answer may not be or look like what you want it to be. It may not look exactly like this, all neat, tidy and safe, BUT, the answer you are seeking will work a whole lot more smooth.
When you give up searching and starting seeking, it, your purpose, is going to become clear and then things are going to start to make sense.
It is like an Oprah "ahhh" moment...and in my lingo, it is like a giant, "duh".
Okay..going to continue answering some of those comments (go read some of them) and then back to packing..have a GREAT day!
oh heck, here is another response and it is more like 5 cents...
Aubien said : Someone I know has been telling me for a few years now that they can clearly see my gift...my purpose. I can't see it yet. Not from not wanting to... I want to...but I can't see it and it's hard to embrace it when you can't see it.
Here is my response in 500 words or less!
Remember that it is just like FAITH. We cannot see it. but we believe it.
Sometimes (no, most of the time) we create ideas in our head of the way WE "think things should look" and we are not paying attention to the way things are because we have confused our ownself. (me raising my hand!)
I am so like this, and I believe that it is natural because of the manic crazy life we live and the dang snake in the garden.
FIRST THINGS FIRST...
Just stop. stop stop stop. Put your foot down and just say enough. I say that because I got myself into that same "looking looking looking" and I was going so fast and furious that I could not and did not see anything.
I got so frustrated, confused and mislead by my ownself that I just gave in....not give up..just gave in to thinking I had everything under control and was doing what I was supposed to be doing.
Just stop, breathe, focus and pray and open your heart to what is waiting for you.