Re-posting from Sept. 2013:
“Sometimes folks will treasure your work, sometimes they won’t. Sometimes you’ll get the gig, sometimes you won’t. You’ll be on the marquee and you’ll be passé. You’ll be thanked and you’ll be taken for granted. You’ll give and you’ll get nothing in return. You’ll be “Liked” and you’ll be unfriended…Anchor your purpose within, sweet friend. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself drifting out at sea again and again.” — Kris Carr
Practice offers the opportunity to find space from the external forces that we often use to base self-worth, value and happiness.
The quote is from Kris Carr’s Huffington Post blog post titled “The Myth of Finding Your Purpose” and found it inspiring and necessary. I highly recommend it. It was Kris Carr’s New Year’s message in 2013 .
In the post (read it, as I will not do it justice), she speaks to finding our purpose within, outside of the statuses of work, relationship, clicks, views, fb, etc. We easily attach our happiness to recognition, offers, praise, acknowledgement and their counterparts. We can easily feel valued or worthless based on these factors. She speaks to finding our purpose through self-acceptance, forgiveness, compassion, faith and kindness
Kris’s message inspires the practice of Maitri (Sanskrit) or Mettā (Pali) cultivating Unconditional Love or Friendship towards ourselves (and therefore others). It all comes back to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 1.33 — Can’t leave home without it! I focused on the sutra this past March and cultivating this unconditional love by practicing loving kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity (i.e., the Four Limitless Ones).
I am no expert, so here is Pema Chödrön on Maitri (I love listening to her speak!):
Incorporating Loving Kindness meditation (Mettā or Maitri) along with exercising the questions Kris poses in the post and practicing sutra 1.33 in our relations with ourselves and others is the perfect combination to strengthen Kris’s message of purpose in unconditional love and friendship with ourselves. In this form of meditation we practice forgiveness and compassion for ourselves and others. By turning inward and connected to and empowered by our greater Self awareness, we can continue on a journey that is plagued with distractions and opportunities to become less.
Here are a few guided meditations to support your work:
Loving Kindness Dharma talks and guided meditations on Dharmaseed.org
Guided Loving Kindness Meditation Download from UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center (9 minutes)
Meditation Teacher Sharon Salzberg is a great resource.
Take the opportunity with the New Year’s Holiday to reflect. We can gently gage and acknowledge our growth and where we may have veered and then forgive and re-commit to ourselves. Making time to re-commit and renew ourSelves can happen outside of New Years. You can do so with the start of each new season, month, week, day or breath.
“It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life…”