Ten years ago this month, a great tragedy occurred in this country. We were all shocked and horrified by the loss of life and by our loss of innocence.

For many of us, it was a wake-up call. Facing an unknowable future, we chose to start living the life we wanted to be living now; to no longer put on hold things the things that were important to us and gave life meaning.

We felt it was time to stop living in life-crippling fear, and to start living in love–doing the things we love, being with and expressing our love for others. It was a time to look for the things that give our lives meaning and purpose, and fill us with satisfaction at the end of each and every precious day.

David made a career change from the corporate world to his own graphic design business. Today his creativity is flowing in design and business marketing, as he builds his new enterprise, SmartDesign, LLC.

Denise decided to go back to school and get her Masters in Library Science. Today she is thrilled with her position as Knowledge & Information Management Coordinator at the New York State Governor’s Office of Employee Relations in Albany, New York.

Christine, after being a caregiver for eight years during the time her husband lived with early-onset Alzheimer's, began exploring ways to channel her empathy for other caregivers. She has started Caregiver Access, which provides the information and emotional support that caregivers so desperately need to do their heroic work.

I re-committed to songwriting and produced a CD of original songs. This makes my heart sing as I literally spend more time singing. It was also time for me to re-commit to helping others find and answer their heart’s call by training as a life coach. The time to act was poignantly clear–NOW.

Here we are again in September–hopefully not on the brink of tragedy, but at a time of year that signals a new beginning, a chance for a fresh start. It is an opportunity to wake up and look at where we are in our lives; to determine, not only what is working and not working, but also to rise above and take a birds-eye-view of the direction we are headed and what holds meaning for us now.

What do you want to change, complete, or begin before the end of 2011 to make it a year to remember? What do you need to do to make your life more purposeful now?

Meaning and purpose gives our lives a richness and depth that make it worth living. To have purpose in our lives, we need to share our best, most authentic selves with the world, contributing in a way that is meaningful to us. Deep satisfaction and joy are available to us when we make a difference in the lives of others with what we do best. By giving our best gifts to the world, we contribute to the beautiful mosaic of colors and textures the world is made of. It is a win-win for all.

 

Listening to and following our heart aligns us with meaning and purpose. Our inner wisdom speaks through our hearts in the form of desires, wishes, and dreams. This inner wisdom is always with us. By taking the time to heed it, we can take steps towards manifesting our authenticity and creating lives of meaning and purpose.

Our challenge is to bring this authenticity into our lives as much as possible. To make time for and structure our lives to support our passion and purpose allows us the greatest possibility of fulfillment.

 

“Don’t ask what the world needs.
Ask what makes you come alive and go do it.
Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.”
--Howard Thurman, theologian, educator, civil rights leader

 

The spiritual teacher Joseph Campbell said, “When you follow your bliss, doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors, and where there wouldn’t be doors for anyone else.”

 

Do you know what holds meaning and purpose for you? Are you willing to explore with curiosity the things in life that create enthusiasm and inspiration for you? There you will find clues about your purpose. By sitting in stillness and listening, you will also hear your heart’s longing.

Now is the time to wake-up to the life we have been given and instill it with as much meaning and purpose as our hearts can hold.