Hello,
My name is Tonia.
I am so happy I get to be here with you today to share in your exploration of who you are.
Let's explore finding meaning and purpose in your life.
That is the quintessential question we all ask ourselves at some point,
Right?
What are we here for?
To some,
These concepts are one and the same.
To others,
One begets the other.
For all,
They are pursued and manifested differently by person,
By day,
Or by lifetime.
Meaning is defined as what is meant by a word,
Text,
Concept,
Or action.
The definition of purpose is the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.
So what is the reason for life,
For our existence?
I can remember as a high school student being drawn to existentialist philosophy.
Existential is of,
Relating to,
Or affirming existence.
Why are we here?
Asked with writing a paper in Advanced English Class,
I chose the topic of Albert Camus.
Camus asserted that human beings strive to find purpose,
But that there is none to be found.
Therefore,
He coined the term absurd.
Life is absurd.
Further explained by Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy,
Since existence itself has no meaning,
We must learn to bear an irresolvable emptiness.
And this paradoxical situation then between our impulse to ask ultimate questions and the impossibility of achieving any adequate answer is what Camus calls the absurd.
Exploring this existential angst further,
In college I was introduced to the therapeutic underpinnings of Viktor Frankl.
I instantly connected on a deep level to his approach,
Which I had applied unconsciously up to that point.
Frankl proposed that since we find meaning in purpose,
That we should strive to live a life of purpose and find meaning in our circumstances.
Frankl,
A Holocaust survivor,
A psychiatrist,
And founder of logotherapy,
Which is a form of existential analysis,
Wrote,
Striving to find meaning in one's life is the primary motivational force in man.
While Camus' assertions and Frankl's theories appear to be diametrically and utterly opposed,
They have a common thread in the argument about the meaning in life.
Camus shirked the idea that life had some predetermined meaning and therefore existence itself is absurd.
Frankl took the view that we exist,
Therefore we can find meaning in our experiences to create some sense of purpose.
I surmise that since we exist,
Finding the light is preferable to sitting in the dark.
I like the way Pablo Picasso merges the two this way.
The meaning of life is to find your gift.
The purpose of life is to give it away.
Others assert that love is our purpose and meaning.
According to Marianne Williamson in her book A Return to Love,
Reflections on the principles of A Course in Miracles,
Love is the essential existential fact.
It is our ultimate reality and our purpose on earth.
To be consciously aware of it,
To experience love in ourselves and others is the meaning of life.
So what purpose and meaning does life have?
When you give love,
Can you do not feel loved in return?
When you do not love yourself?
When you search for purpose and meaning in what you do,
Not in who you are and how you exist in life.
What happens when you can no longer do,
Or when what you do no longer produces the desired effect?
Well then,
You cease to exist,
At least in terms of feeling,
And you become apathetic,
Hopeless,
Directionless.
What is the cure for that?
Explore for yourself what you want your life to mean.
What is the purpose of your existence?
You must first define what meaning and purpose are for you before you can live them out.
Sit quietly,
Go deep within yourself to examine your life,
Who you are,
Who you want to be.
You come out of the darkness only when you look at your light within,
At who you are and who you want to be.
So let's begin by being still and focusing on your breath.
Breathe in through your nose,
Hold it,
And then breathe out through your mouth and make a noise.
I will keep count for you for a few cycles and then I'll set the timer for five minutes.
Continue focusing on your breath to allow your mind to connect with your heart and with your soul.
Let's see where it takes you.
Let's begin.
Breathe in through your nose,
Hold,
Out through your mouth,
In through your nose,
Hold,
Out through your mouth,
In through your nose,
Hold,
Out through your mouth,
Setting the timer.
Breathe in through your nose,
Hold,
Out through your mouth,
In through your nose,
Hold,
Out through your mouth,
Setting the timer.
Breathe in through your nose,
Hold,
Out through your mouth,
Setting the timer.
Breathe in through your nose,
Hold,
Out through your mouth,
Setting the timer.
Breathe in through your mouth,
Hold,
Out through your mouth,
Setting the timer.
Breathe in through your nose,
Hold,
Out through your mouth,
Setting the timer.
Breathe in through your mouth,
Hold,
Out through your mouth,
Setting the timer.
Breathe in through your mouth,
Hold,
Out through your mouth,
Setting the timer.
Breathe in through your mouth,
Hold,
Out through your mouth,
Setting the timer.
Breathe in through your mouth,
Hold,
Out through your mouth,
Setting the timer.
Okay,
What came up for you?
What is your reason for being here,
For being alive?
What is that unique gift that you have to give away?
And what can you give yourself today to make life hold meaning and purpose?
Now you have taken a step toward really living the life you were meant to.
Congratulations and have a meaningful and purposeful day.
Blessings on you.
