Wednesday, October 7, 2009

The Dream of Soul and Life Purpose

Joseph Campbell, the highly regarded teacher of mythology, wisely pointed out that for the first half of a human’s life the ego runs ahead in search of experience and wealth. During this time, the Soul takes a back seat, patiently waiting for the ego to do its thing and to gather in what it needs. The Soul serves the ego by letting it run much like a wild hungry dog in search of adventure and wealth of whatever the ego is collecting. It could be money, other resources, or experiences.

Then there comes a time when the Soul turns its gaze onto the ego and says, “Thank you for forging ahead and for having the experiences you have had. There is a greater meaning to all of this though, and it is time that you, ego, sit back and serve me, the Soul, as I fulfill my bargain with the Universe and express my life purpose.”

The Soul works us from within, and so there comes a time in our human adventure when it gets activated and demands that we follow its yearning. For some, this time occurs at a young age. We recognize these people as “old Souls.” When we are around them we feel a deeper, fuller connection to the Universe. Others may not have this experience until the last few short moments of their physical lives on Earth, when suddenly at the end of it all they awaken and realize something important is being realized.

Still others experience this time at midlife, and it is often manifested in what we call midlife crises. I prefer to call these midlife awakenings. This is a time when, under the pressure of the Soul, many people start to ask questions about what this life is really all about. It is a time when people look at the houses, cars, boats, and shoe collections and realize that as nice as those things are, they aren’t providing much meaning to their human existence.

If we are lucky, we are willing and still able to respond to the call when it comes. If we do, we let go of the attachment to the ego’s treasures, which can often confuse our families and friends, and we allow our Selves to respond to the Soul's call and to seek out some meaning in our otherwise productive lives. The Soul is grateful to the ego for having amassed all the resources and assures the ego that these things will be put to good use. The ego has been creating foundations, which are pools of resources that can now committed to a use that is generally altruistic in its intention.

The yearning of the Soul to be out in front at this stage becomes a major influence on our life’s dreams. Many of the things that used to seem important suddenly fall away from our desires. The Soul has better and more important things in mind for you now. The Soul works on us in mysterious ways that we often experience as a longing, a yearning that arises from deep within. This stirring causes us to be restless. It calls us out of our comfortable life. It beckons us, calls to us in our sleep. It shakes us in the waking sleepwalk of our regular life. It will haunt you, follow you, and pull away the illusions of your life that ego built. It will not allow you to sleep any longer. When it calls for you, you will at least know; whether you answer or not is another question.


Watch for my book coming out this November:
Awakened Wisdom - A Guide to Reclaiming Your Brilliance
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Patrick Ryan
Chief Waker-Upper

Check our website, www.awakenedwisdom.com for the next AWE event!!