Purposeful Growth

You are not alone…and neither am I. Do you feel your fundamental connection to all people, all living things, the earth, and the Universe? Doing so will ease your life. The human experience is a paradox–we seem to be alone, yet we also feel connected to others. To experience being human we have a unique individuality.

Your DNA and mine differ by less than one percent, yet my fingerprints are unique in all the world, as is my retinal scan. Behavioral scientists can categorize all human behavior into a relatively small number of common characteristics. Yet the

combination of my set of preferred behaviors and my inner calling set me apart. Not too long ago, a friend of mine spotted me from 200 feet away, walking down a hospital corridor. He said, “I thought that was you by the way you walked.” I hadn’t seen him for two years, but he knew my walk. 

All of my uniqueness contributes to my ability to experience
life as my life. I perceive the world through my eyes,
filtered by my beliefs, focused by my interests and goals.
Yet to be truly alone, totally alone, and forever alone is a
living hell. What’s the most severe and debilitating
punishment for prisoners? Solitary confinement. How are
school children punished? Isolation from the class. The
paradox is that we must feel separated to experience
humanness, yet we must feel connected and loved to be happy.

Thinking of my moments of greatest joy, I recognize these
are times when I connect intimately with another soul.
Spiritual masters over the centuries tell us that we’re all
a part of each other and the Universe. We feel that

connection intimately when we are either deeply touched by
joy–as in the birth of a child or the embrace of a loved
one–or when we are deeply saddened–as in the death of a
loved one or a human tragedy such as 9/11, hurricane Katrina, or the recent railway bombings in India. 

What some label synchronicity and others call coincidence is the elaborate interconnection of our lives. The phenomenon of six degrees of separation is proof enough of our connections to each other. Our connection to God is less obvious–until a moment of great joy or deep despair. Then what do we commonly utter? Oh my God! Notice the middle word–my. We instinctively recognize our linkage to God when we seek help.

Life is easier when you live your life conscious of the
separation/connection paradox. Experience life in your
separation, which allows you to grow personally and
individually, while simultaneously being comforted knowing
that you’re not alone.

You and I share the same DNA, we breathe the same air, and our energy fields merge and mingle. We ingest the elements deposited by ancestors centuries past. We’re formed of materials spewed forth by exploding stars millennia ago. Our thoughts, our moods, our words, and our actions affect others in the next room and the next continent. We’re hopelessly and wonderfully interconnected. We’re not alone–never have been, never will be. Life is easier when you recognize and honor your connection to all.

Related Articles:
Ten Steps to an Easy Life

A very significant source of hardship in life is debt. When you spend less than you earn, you eliminate a major source of life struggle. The invention of credit allowed people with modest incomes to make a major purchase, such as a home, and pay it off over time. The new homeowner benefits from the joy of home ownership (the burdens of home maintenance and upkeep are another story) and the creditor makes some income in exchange for the loan; everyone wins.

Until, that is, we extend the buy now/pay later concept first to cars, then TV’s, vacations, and finally to clothing, groceries, and other every day staples. Suddenly, the borrower is overwhelmed, or at least under constant stress to juggle payments, hold two jobs, and appease creditors. Not the recipe for an easy life.

Despite the urging of marketing America to consume more things, the life often portrayed as the “good life” can be a major deterrent to an easy life. Easy access to credit cards, no interest payments for months, and a transparent appeal to the ego to be happy, popular, and smart by buying more stuff all conspire to encourage overspending.

The happiness we feel when we purchase that new car, flat screen TV, or Disney World vacation on credit is short lived indeed. Happiness resulting from need satisfaction is always brief and disappointing. True happiness–the joy of your soul–comes from within. It is available to all of us at any time. You can bring it forth when you glimpse your soul through meditation or self reflection, when you touch
another soul by giving unconditional love, and when you share the wonder of the Universe by living completely in the present moment.

The simple act of living within your means to earn–spending less than you earn–not only brings its own share of ease to your life, but also eliminates external stress and anxiety
which contribute to a life of struggle.

If you’re spending more and enjoying it less, break the cycle. If you juggle your bills every month–paying some while putting off others–yet still go shopping to feel good about yourself, look for joy within by going without.

Your joy in life comes not from what you buy, but from who you are. Build your life on the foundation of being who you are. This, of course, presumes you have taken that inner
journey of self understanding and now know your purpose in life. Without this knowing, your life may be a constant search for external gratification. With the knowing, you will find joy in the easy process of being yourself–the
easy life.

You’ll find more information here on Purpose in Life courses.

There are many helpful resources for credit education and intervention programs. Unfortunately, I cannot make specific recommendations.

Related Articles:

Ten Steps to an Easy Life