Welcome to this meditation where we will explore our curiosities to find purpose when our lives are changed through chronic pain.
I invite you to find a comfortable position.
Feel your body anchored into the surface beneath you.
And gently bring your awareness to the breath.
You don't have to change the breath at all,
Simply notice it.
Notice the rise and fall of your chest or your stomach.
Notice the gentle sounds of air through the nose or the mouth.
And as you breathe here,
Bring your attention to this current moment.
To this snapshot of your life.
And I want you to think about what brings you joy.
This doesn't have to be a grandiose thing.
It can be the first thing that pops into your mind,
No matter how small or silly it feels.
And focus in on this joy and any sensations that arise.
Allow your mind to wander to these areas of joy in your life as if you are looking through a photo album.
And glimpse at these snapshots of wonder and excitement in your day to day.
It might be the smell of fresh pine in the air.
The warm sips of your morning coffee.
The gentle light streaming onto sun-soaked floors.
The laughter of your loved ones.
Breathe into these special moments.
Now I want you to focus on what feels purposeful for you.
What makes you feel valued.
Before you had chronic pain,
What did this look like?
And does this look different today?
And as you focus on this,
Allow any emotions to arise without judgment.
Find compassion for the parts of you that may feel like you've lost your purpose.
That your values or your lifestyle has changed with this pain.
Purpose does not need to be something of value to others.
It does not need to be of value to society.
It does not need to knock loudly at your door and say,
I am here.
I am contributing.
Purpose can be the small glimmers of light in an otherwise dark moment.
It can be the gentle reaching of a hand to another in a time of need.
It can be the moments that make you think,
I want to remember this forever.
The glimpses of joy in your day-to-day.
So if you are feeling lost,
If you are feeling purposeless,
I invite you to take a deep breath.
To smile.
To remember that you are inherently valuable.
That you are worthy,
Full stop.
That your snapshots of joy and meaning and abundance can be your purpose.
That you can cultivate and nourish these moments,
Whatever they are,
And use them to fuel your purpose.
And any time you feel invaluable or lost,
I invite you to come back to this meditation.
To remind yourself that you are enough.
That whatever gives your life meaning,
That whatever feels like a gift can be your purpose.
That is enough.
Take a deep inhale here through the nose.
A loud exhale out the mouth.
Relax the shoulders,
The face,
The jaw.
Give yourself one last little smile.
As you walk into the rest of your day with purpose.
