Purpose & Perspective
The purpose of being, rather than doing
How would I choose to show up, if showing up was the sole purpose of it all?
This particular post is a reflection of what has followed private sessions lately. Many are struggling feeling purpose and meaning in their lives. We face a lot right now, collectively and individually, with loads of information and immanent foundational shifts and changes coming at us with immense velocity. Heightened friction, emotional waves of all kinds and loss of meaning, are only some of the side effects of the unknown ripples of AI developments and current global conflicts. What will be our role in an AI driven society? How do we navigate the terrain of quickly changing narratives, deep fake, etc? Our nervous systems can only take so much, no matter how well we sweep the stress and impressions under the rug (or not).
Hopelessness and fatigue is real. Lack of clarity and motivation is real. The external challenges are testing our inner peace and equanimity in so many ways. How do we stay grounded, positive, learn to pivot, and contribute to the collective? These are all legit questions, although many of the reflections and so called answers expire as quickly as the external landscape shape shifts. What is the steady ground within the uncertainty? What is the most purposeful way of living in this ever-changing world?
These types of questions are what brought me to ponder this. Maybe it is time we look at purpose in a whole new way all together.
What if my purpose is simply being here, spending this precious time with you.
Simply so, wholly and holy.
What if my purpose is not tied to the things I do, but how I do them.
What if my purpose is how I snuggle the dogs and make homemade granola.
Maybe it’s not at all tied to the occupation I hold, which is constantly shape shifting,
but rather related to what energy I carry and emit?
If my purpose was about how I show up to my life—would things be different?
What if my purpose was measured in the moments I was present for.
What if my purpose was about how completely I let myself get absorbed in the moment;
in the conversations, in the chores, in the creations that fill my days, and in the rest that follows.
If this was true, how would I steward this precious time that we have been gifted?
How would I choose to show up, if showing up was the sole purpose of it all?om tat sat
—Hansa Devi
PURPOSE
I believe that true purpose and meaning is derived from service and contribution. Fulfillment is more sustainable when we touch the hearts of others. Our own life feels meaningful when we bring something of value, contribute to the collective, and touch the hearts of those who need it.
So far, conversations about purpose most often bring in a layer of doing this or that—using our talents and skills—to live our purpose. But what if it has nothing to do with talents, skillset or occupation, but rather the frequency we emit when we go about our days.
Purpose and meaning can feel like grandiose topics for a far off distant future—when everything aligns. What about living our purpose today and every day? Maybe it has nothing to do with any specific skillset, but rather the awareness and presence we bring—which is already alive within us.
We often talk about “finding your why” in relation to purpose, as the north star for the path of fulfillment. Our why is supposedly this magic word through which it all makes sense. As if we could boil down our reason for being into one word. For some that may be true, for others this is harder. What if the secret is equally in the “how” we show up, while the “what” we do are the various vehicles we use to share our purpose, which keeps changing with the seasons of our life.
I don’t think there is a right or wrong here. The sole purpose of me sharing this is to get you pondering this topic for yourself. What rings true to you? What is in alignment with your own core values? If we can uproot outdated ways of thinking, then we are on the way of creating new ways of being. Simply put.
ATTITUDE
Yes it matters what we do, but maybe even more so how we do it. If the golden thread of purpose is found in the energy that is carried through our actions, we ought to give some airtime to this topic—and ponder what we are willing to emit through the vessel that we are.
If living purposefully is about how we show up, it is all about bhavana—the attitude and energy that we hold when we show up. This, my friends, is the free will choice we have within each and every situation.
Maybe it is time to slow things down a notch, in order to observe what’s actually happening as we go about our days. Let’s be real. To what degree are we showing up, with what level of presence? What receptivity? What curiosity? What heart resonance? What level of attention? What intensity? How mindful and open are we in the precious moments that we have been gifted?
This will of course differ depending on the various aspects of life you’re observing. Different relationships and situations will mirror different things back to you. You can dig a lot deeper into this contemplation if you look at the different arenas of life; family, work, community, relationship with self, etc. Dissect it more. Look at the attitudes you hold within each of these aspects of life. The possibility for inquiry (and insight) is endless.
THE PURPOSE OF BEING
If purpose is embedded in being—which I fully believe that it is—then any and all doing simply becomes the vehicle through which we carry out the purpose of being.
Being present is at the heart of it all. The question then becomes how we fill our toolbox with qualities that help us live up to being fully present. It all ties back to response-ability and what attitude we choose to hold.
Mindfulness practices help us recognize, cultivate and nurture the inner resources needed to be fully open and present to life as it unfolds, not as we expect it to be. Spiritual practices help us re-member what’s already here—present and alive. It starts with attention, empathy, inquiry and dedication, on our part.
It’s time we shift the narrative from what we do, to who we are. What you focus on becomes your reality. What reality do you want to create? What you focus on will expand. What do you want to see flourish in your life?
A life lived in presence
Is a life lived with purposeom
Excerpt from: At The Entrance Of The Cave, by Hansa Devi
PURE EARNESTNESS
Another aspect of importance in this conversation is our willingness to stay in the fire—ignited and curious, with a certain intensity to fuel us forward. This is called tapasaya in the yogic sciences. It is not necessarily an intensity based on the rationale we are used to—such as competitiveness, accomplishments and achievements. The intensity I’m speaking of contains an eagerness and commitment, spiced with a pinch of urgency. The seed kernel here is earnestness—a sincere, deep, wholehearted willingness. The quality of this type of earnestness holds dedication, willpower and resilience, but also softness and devotion, a reverence and appreciation to the process—every step of the way.
This is a seeing-it-through type of commitment. An unwavering devotion to staying present to what life wants us to experience and learn from, no matter how it fits into our narrative or not. There is a faith and conviction baked into this type of earnestness—a willingness to trust and surrender—that instead of giving our power away makes us steadfast within each step, even if the next step seems unclear. This conviction is what seeds an earnestness so pure and so strong, it will carry us through any weather.
All of this all takes place within our own hearts. Our attitude and earnestness imbue our thoughts with qualities which carries through to our words and actions. Hence, it is our responsibility to nurture the type of qualities that keep us centered at our core and fully present—as the witness deep within our heart cave.
Ponder the tools and practices that help you stay present, inspired and in awe of the preciousness of life. Be your own guide to that which resonates in this very moment…
WITNESS WITHOUT JUDGEMENT
Lastly, but certainly not the least… What stance do you choose to take when you observe the unfolding of your own life? In relation to purpose, are you judging your own life based on certain expectations or projections? Make sure to give yourself the compassion and grace you give to others.
Observe resistances that come up in this context. They will give you clues as to how to break free from their hold. Where are you stuck? Where are you tangled? What feels sticky? These resistances are blessings masquerading as challenges. Make friends with them. Bless them. Kiss them good bye and send them on their way.
May you revel in the beauty of being.
Love,
Hansa
This post serves as the recap and follow up to our Sangha Session in June 2025.
To join our group gatherings called Sangha Sessions, for live Q&A via Zoom, please upgrade to a paid Substack subscription. Contemplations, bonus materials, recommended reading, etc, is available for all paid subscribers. We hope you’ll join us! If you have questions, please email vicharapublications@gmail.com