I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.
– Albert SchweitzerAwakening to Higher Purpose is about connecting with your Higher Self. It is about integrating your partness with your wholeness. It is about expanding and adding value to the entire Universe by enriching the lives of others with your unique talents and passions. In the next chapter, we look at how to identify your Higher Purpose. Beforehand, let us look deeply into the notion of awakening to Higher Purpose.
THE UNIVERSE IS INHERENTLY PURPOSEFULRecall from Part I that the Universe, before it is anything else, is comprised of holons, or whole/parts. Absolutely everything that is part of a system is comprised of holons. Humans and all other forms of life are part of this intricate and harmonious system called life. Every part serves a greater purpose that contributes the whole. Atoms support molecules, molecules support cells, cells support organs, and organs all serve a highly specific purpose to give support to life itself. This is a fundamental property of the entire Universe, both physical and non-physical. Purpose is inherent in the fabric of the Universe.
Take bees for example. Worker bees are directly responsible for pollinating 90% of our flowering crops. Albert Einstein foretold that if bees became extinct, humanity would have only four years to live. Without pollination, plant and animal life would not exist. Their existence is highly purposeful and without them, life would cease.
Each individual bee has a highly specific function to undertake within the colony. For instance, a drones sole purpose is to mate with a queen; they do not work a day in their lives. After actualizing their purpose, they die, as this is their pre-determined destiny.
However, the human experience is an entirely different one because The Absolute has bestowed Free Will upon us. We do not have a pre-determined destiny as a bee does. It is entirely up to us how we choose to conduct our lives and how we serve the Universe, the whole. It makes no difference to the Universe if you devote your life to self-service or service to others. You can live on welfare or you can build a global business empire. The Absolute observes in perfect detachment as you exercise its greatest gift to you, the privilege of Free Will. So why do some people realize their Higher Purpose while others do not?
THE BATTLE OF YOUR LOWER & HIGHER SELFIt is because of an eternal battle that rages within your awareness. It is the conflict between your partness and wholeness, or your lower self and your Higher Self.
The role of Ego is to give you a sense of individuality, or self-identity. It is driven by self-service and self-preservation. Its mantra is me, myself and I. On the other hand, your Higher Self, your Spirit, wants you to grow and express the seed of Divinity within you. It is driven by purpose, service to others and self-actualization. Its mantra is give that which you seek to receive.
The conflict between these aspects of Self can give rise to great inner disharmony. Ultimately, the aspect of Self that you identify most strongly with will win the war.
DO I HAVE A PURPOSE?The answer to The Big Question depends on which aspect of Self you ask! It is really a question of perspective; the answer differs depending on your view of the world. The view from the fragmented intellect is much different to that of the Higher Self. The following table outlines the different worldviews of the Ego and Higher Self:
Lower self (Ego)
Individual Partness Isolated
Purposeless
Individual Node
Cog
Higher Self (Spirit)
Universal
Wholeness
Integrated
Purposeful
Communal Network Machine
From this table, you can see that only the perspective of your Higher Self can reveal your Higher Purpose. Asking your lower self about purpose is an exercise in futility. So how do you find your Higher Purpose?
AWAKENING TO HIGHER PURPOSEThe process of awakening to your Higher Purpose is a transpersonal growth journey. If you have not found any purpose in your life up until now, it is because you were either not ready for the answer or have not asked the question.
The truth is that your Higher Self has always known what your Higher Purpose is. To uncover it, you need only choose to align with your Higher Self. You see, it has been waiting with infinite patience for the time you are ready. The moment you exercise your freedom to choose to align with your Higher Self, your Higher Purpose begins to unfold in perfect order.
The problem with all of this is that few people consciously wake up in the morning and deliberately choose to align with their Higher Self. Doing this just does not enter the scope of their fragmented, isolated awareness. They see what is, and identify with their Ego and intellect, and the relationships and objects that the Ego defines itself by. So how does anybody come into alignment with his or her Higher Self?
Well, The Absolute has a secret weapon. Although it cannot interfere with your Free Will, it can orchestrate events that force the growth you require to align with your Higher Self, if your soul truly wants it. If you are at the stage in your transpersonal development where you begin to ponder your place in the Universe, and genuinely want to discover and realize it, the Universe will give you the ultimate gift.
LOSING YOURSELF TO FIND YOURSELFAn old saying has it that religion is for those who are afraid of going to hell; spirituality is for those who have already been there…
- James HollisIn an act of Divine Love, The Absolute will strike down upon your Ego with its Divine Anvil. The Divine Anvil is the only force capable of shattering the grip of the Ego, your sense of partness. The Divine Anvil is the real cause of true and enduring psycho-spiritual transformation in your life.
The spiritual literature refers to this experience as „The Cross. This process is the foundation for the entire notion of death and rebirth, of resurrection. To encounter The Cross is to die before you die. It signals the death of your partness and heralds a new era of wholeness, of alignment with your Higher Self. You finally realize that you are a spiritual being having a physical experience. You awaken to Higher Power, to your Higher Self and to Higher Purpose. So what is the experience of The Cross?
The Cross experience is akin to the supernova process that you learnt about in Part I. Like stars, we „burn away slowly for many years in a state of ignorant bliss. Most people endure this slow burn their entire lives without ever going supernova. However, for those who truly want it, whether consciously or unconsciously, The Absolute will support the transformative growth process.
The Absolute knows that destruction is creation; it creates entire worlds with this principle. It can see the end, and look on in detachment, knowing that in spite of appearances the act is for your greater good.
In a strong fell swoop of the Divine Anvil, it proceeds to orchestrate the destruction of everything precious to you. In this act of perfectly detached love, everything that your Ego defined itself burns in the fury of the explosion. It might be your financial fortune, the loss of a long-term career identity or your friends and loved ones. It might even be a combination of all of them. In most cases, it takes anywhere from weeks to months to unfold entirely. In others, you can lose it all in a day.
However it manifests, the outcome is the same: You lose whatever it is you value the most. Unable to cope with the devastation of the blow, the Ego is temporarily shattered. With nothing to hold on to, nothing to define itself by, in the face of total annihilation, a window of opportunity opens up. This opportunity is an invitation to connect with your Higher Self, to align with your Higher Purpose, to transform, grow, and express.
Not everyone makes it through this process intact, but those who do are literally reborn. Their destruction is their creation. These survivors universally credit the experience as the most important and transformative in their entire life journey.
YOUR HIGHER SELF & HIGHER PURPOSEAs the fiery embers of the Egos annihilation cool, you will begin to awaken to your Higher Self. That is, you begin to integrate into the wholeness beyond your partness. You will start to look beyond the incessant demands of your Ego and contemplate how you can make a meaningful contribution to the Universe. As an inevitable consequence, you will begin the journey of discovering your Higher Purpose. As you do so, your significant life experiences will start to weave into a web of meaning. As the web becomes clearer, you will start to appreciate how these events shaped and forged you. You will realize that all of your lifes triumphs and tribulations served to equip you with the necessary insights, experiences and skills to realize your Higher Purpose. Such is the way of the Higher Self, which sees farther and deeper than you can imagine possible. So what is your Higher Purpose?
HIGHER PURPOSE & SERVICEWe are here on earth to do good for others. What the others are here for, I don’t know.
- W. H. Auden
Your Higher Purpose is to serve others with your special talents and passions. How you choose to do this forms the basis of your Divine Mission, which you will learn about shortly. Through your Higher Purpose, you make a valuable and meaningful contribution to the whole, to the Universe at large. Realizing your Higher Purpose is about figuring out how to apply your special talents and passions in service to others.
Your Higher Purpose is an undertaking to bring value, joy and fulfilment to the lives of others. In the process, you will create tremendous abundance, joy and fulfilment for yourself. Your Higher Purpose captures the spirit of the expression „If you want it, give it. If you seek it, be it.
Exactly how you serve is entirely up to you, but it will always leverage your unique talents, your passions and the things you love to do. It does not matter if you save people time, make them money or help them realize inner growth or harmony.