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What is your MASTER goal in life?
What is your master goal in life? To me this is an interesting question. I know that if you had asked me this question in high school, my answer would have been very different than in my 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and even now in my 50’s. As I mature, my priorities, goals and understanding of life has changed dramatically. My past came with a lot of distractions. Even today I find if I am not paying attention it is easy to get misdirected. As we evolve as a society, it seems to me there are more and more THINGS to get detracted by. Do you feel there is a master goal for each one of us? What would that be for you?
Today I recognize the gift of life and see the beauty in creation, which is something that I was not aware of early on in life. I understand that being of service and living a moral life is paramount. Moreover, that the perfection of life carries with it suffering and it is through this suffering that we are offered the greatest opportunities for change and growth. It is how we deal with these challenges that life presents us, that determines the intensity of our suffering (the path of least resistance). So in that regard we have control over the uncontrollable. No person, event or experience can take you away from your peace unless you choose to let it.
We live in a world that leads us on the path to sensory satisfaction. Do you notice how this path is fraught with disappointment? Certainly life is meant to be enjoyed and pleasure is something that can bring us satisfaction at least in the short term. But has it ever brought you lasting peace and comfort? In my own life I have sought pleasure through many different avenues including sex, alcohol, drugs, food, shopping and pretty much anything else that would take me away from feeling my feelings in any uncomfortable time. I was so good at it, that I didn’t even know I was doing it a lot of the time. It’s taken a great deal of practice to just begin to notice.
It takes real strength and toughness to wait out all of the blandishments of passing pleasure when it leads us away from our real goal. We all have dreams of what we are going to accomplish in life. But do you look back now and wonder what happened to those dreams and how you ended up where you are now? Have you fulfilled a lot of your dreams yet still feel empty, alone, sad or even depressed? Does the journey down a path of sensory satisfaction lead you toward your goals or further away? It is a poignant paradox: wanting only happiness, yet going systematically in the other direction.
“When the heart weeps for what it has lost, the spirit laughs at what it has found.” Sufi Proverb
Each one of us has a purpose here on earth; to seek our master goal. I believe that this master goal is common to all. It can be described in different ways but ultimately it comes down to this, at least from this writer’s opinion. It is to begin connecting on a deeper spiritual level to who we really are; to work on ourselves and let go of those things that no longer serve our highest good.
Each person’s path for this journey is different and should not be judged. We are each responsible for what we do, responsible for who we are, responsible for the way our society functions and our roles in it. We can no longer place blame towards others for their beliefs. We can no longer make war for peace in the world or within ourselves. Notice how you resist (war) things in life, how you resist feeling emotions, how you resist in your body and even resist life itself. Ultimately we must take a step back and look at who we have become. This is not who we are: it is a compilation of our past.
Change is inevitable! Are you moving towards what you want or towards what you don’t want in your life? Today choose to move towards want you want. Be part of changing the world by changing yourself first.
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