I always find it interesting, and sometimes frustrating, that we use the same word—dream—for what our waking ego projects as our hopes and wishes as well as our nightly dive into the unconscious. It's frustrating because what our waking egoic perspective wants can be vastly misaligned from what the deeper aspects of our being know that we really need. I think you’re on to something here that this misalignment can be a big source of the lack of purpose so many feel today.
actually, i didn't even together that the misalignment between dreams might lead to a feeling of lack of purpose!
some of the people i've been talking to are just trying to reach baseline. to live in a way that's not ruled by scarcity or under the influence of a family member or cultural norm. in those situations — which I know really well, personally — the only ambition-dream can be to "get out."
but i also witnessed in my grandmother a life within those constraints that was full of ease and spiritual fullness. she let go of the ambition-dream and allowed herself to life fully in alignment with her calling-dreams
I’ve been thinking about a lot about purpose too, as i'm exploring and have a desire to expand my work in the world. And being with the question of what is mine to do (from Sahajayana).
I have been thinking about how it’s fluid and changes moment to moment, like how my purpose is to just be present with whatever I’m doing or whatever I’m with in the moment (Thich Nhat Hanh nonveys this beautifully in his books), and how we can have many purposes in life
And how sometimes this need for purpose, maybe like a shadow side, is tied to the capitalist system we live in that allows us to have only one job/ career and tied to this need for certainty, power, and control.
a while ago i decided to decouple relating to my "work" from relating to money and income. these days I don't even use the word work, because everything is work: cooking, relating, taking rest and saying no. it's all just growth.
but now i do use the word "calling," because I'm interested less in how to win control over my life and instead in cultivating the sensitivity to notice what my life is asking for from me. what is the thing I uniquely can do given the constraints and conditions of my life, that furthers the growth of my being and the collective organism? i think a lot of the yearnings people have brought me are a mix of this capitalistic urge to be seen and feel powerful with a very real inner heartsong towards one's calling.
and as you say, the discernment comes in noticing which thread we want to pull
I always find it interesting, and sometimes frustrating, that we use the same word—dream—for what our waking ego projects as our hopes and wishes as well as our nightly dive into the unconscious. It's frustrating because what our waking egoic perspective wants can be vastly misaligned from what the deeper aspects of our being know that we really need. I think you’re on to something here that this misalignment can be a big source of the lack of purpose so many feel today.
actually, i didn't even together that the misalignment between dreams might lead to a feeling of lack of purpose!
some of the people i've been talking to are just trying to reach baseline. to live in a way that's not ruled by scarcity or under the influence of a family member or cultural norm. in those situations — which I know really well, personally — the only ambition-dream can be to "get out."
but i also witnessed in my grandmother a life within those constraints that was full of ease and spiritual fullness. she let go of the ambition-dream and allowed herself to life fully in alignment with her calling-dreams
I’ve been thinking about a lot about purpose too, as i'm exploring and have a desire to expand my work in the world. And being with the question of what is mine to do (from Sahajayana).
I have been thinking about how it’s fluid and changes moment to moment, like how my purpose is to just be present with whatever I’m doing or whatever I’m with in the moment (Thich Nhat Hanh nonveys this beautifully in his books), and how we can have many purposes in life
And how sometimes this need for purpose, maybe like a shadow side, is tied to the capitalist system we live in that allows us to have only one job/ career and tied to this need for certainty, power, and control.
a while ago i decided to decouple relating to my "work" from relating to money and income. these days I don't even use the word work, because everything is work: cooking, relating, taking rest and saying no. it's all just growth.
but now i do use the word "calling," because I'm interested less in how to win control over my life and instead in cultivating the sensitivity to notice what my life is asking for from me. what is the thing I uniquely can do given the constraints and conditions of my life, that furthers the growth of my being and the collective organism? i think a lot of the yearnings people have brought me are a mix of this capitalistic urge to be seen and feel powerful with a very real inner heartsong towards one's calling.
and as you say, the discernment comes in noticing which thread we want to pull