It is football Saturday here in Boulder with CU taking on University of Wyoming. The city turns into a bunch of intoxicated kids wandering the streets acting crazy. Too many of them will end up where I work at the County Detox. I remember those day when I was in college, they were fun because we all felt we were invincible. That feeling of invincibility seems to fade as we get older and realize how precious this lifetime is.
Whether we believe in the transmigration of the soul/reincarnation or not doesn’t really matter. This life is all we know we have for sure so it seems best to live it as fully as possible. What does it mean to live life fully? How do we know if we are doing life the best we can?
Living life fully seems to have four components that stand out clearly. Those four include: learning to love, living with purpose, exploring our potential and developing a relationship with our soul/spirit. Other ideas that come up may include: making a living, having a career, raising a family, doing good and more. These seem part of the first four components.
Let’s explore these four taking on learning to love first. It seems clear to me after over 50 years on the planet studying human nature that loving, be compassionate, caring and being kind is as important as anything on this journey called life. Keeping our hearts open and expanding our ability to have compassion is the stuff of being a wonderful human being. Loving-kindness is what we will call this practice of expanding love for self and others. The world is ripe for love to become a powerful force to uplift humanity. How do you grow love in your life? Do you realize that your capacity for love is limitless and that you can make a difference on the planet by expanding the range of your heart’s influence?
Living with purpose is the second human directive worth exploring. To live with purpose means we have something we are here to do that is unique to only us. This purpose can be anything that we know inside we are to be or do. It could be a famous football player (today is your day if you are in college), an explorer of the human mind, a creative and loving parent, a genius at video games, an artist that inspires, a kind and caring helper and in infinite number of other possibilities. Is it clear to you that you have a special purpose, if not maybe you need to listen inside? Can you feel the calling of something noble within?
Closely tied to purpose is the reality that each of us comes into our bodies, minds and hearts with an unlimited human potential. We are all equipped for greatness, for simple or profound impact. There is nothing we cannot achieve if we get clear what it is we want to explore. This is part of what makes life so interesting, we can continue to explore our potential our entire lives. We can keep on growing and learning until we close our eyes for good. Listen to what wants to be expressed inside and everything will get much more interesting. This expression can be in the quiet of the moment or on the big stage of life. What do you want to explore in your life? What special expression of your talents are you in the midst of discovering?
The fourth component is the most challenging to write about because there is so much unknown about the spirit/soul/life force that inhabits us. Many people want to tell us what/who this force is but frankly they know little or less than we do. This spirit seems to have existed before this lifetime and most likely will continue after. This divine force is infinite and aligned with the Source of all life in the universe as far as we can tell. To explore this higher self we must tune in, sit in silence because the words of others never do it justice. This soul force seems to invite us to be more of the above three, it wants us to love, be purposeful, and explore our potential of which it is the source. This is what being spiritual is about. How do you practice opening to your spirit? What does it guide you to do with your life?
There are so many questions and so much of life to explore. If you ever experience any self-doubt, boredom, depression, or lack of clarity, take out some paper and write down strategies to explore these four components and you will find happiness.