Find Your Purpose

I work at Grand Canyon University, the motto of which is "Find Your Purpose." GCU is one of the most successful universities in America, having grown from a couple of thousand ground student and 30,000 online students 12 years ago to over 20,000 ground students and 100,000 online students today. Part of that success is due to its great programs and courses, but I think it's also partly due to its motto because most people are looking for their purpose. People desire to feel fulfilled, doing what they were born to do, whether that be nursing, teaching, engineering, counseling, etc. This is the key to wholeness or fulfillment, the second pillar. Without a purpose, no need, want, or craving can satisfy you no matter how much you get of it. But with purpose, you don’t care if you have anything else.

So, how do you find your purpose? Everyone is born with an aptitude and affinity toward one or more rays. We can think of these as the spectrum of light from the sun and we are flowers of different hues absorbing the matching rays from the sun. The rays and their qualities and some occupations are pink for love as a musician, actor, and artist; blue for power as a politician, leader, explorer, police officer, and manager; yellow for wisdom as a writer, philosopher, and teacher; green for truth, abundance, and healing as a counselor, banker, nurse, or doctor; purple and gold for ministration and service as a minister, hospitality worker, or food server; white for purity and harmony as an architect, builder, or tech person; and violet for alchemy, transmutation, and freedom as an astrologer, psychologist, and diplomat.

For some people, having a lowly service job that doesn't require a college degree may be their purpose. My step-grandfather was a street sweeper all his life and was content doing that. He had a good life and was a good man. So, it's not so much what you do for a living but how you live your life that's important. Live it with purpose.

You could say that your livelihood is your secondary purpose, what you do to make money so that you have shelter and food. What is your primary purpose? Several years ago, I met Charlie Thweat at Big Sky Resort at a spiritual conference. He's a powerful singer with profound lyrics. One of his songs stayed with me over the years. It's a very simple song with three lines that are repeated:

You are the Light of the world.

That is your only purpose.

That is why you are here.

This is your primary purpose. This is everyone's primary purpose, shedding light to others in their own particular way on their own special ray. It doesn't mean that you meditate in some cave till you attain enlightenment and then be the light of the world. It is written in the Bible in Matthew 5: 14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

"Your good works" are done through your secondary purpose. My grandfather would greet people as they walked to work on his cleaned streets and sidewalks with a smile and "Good morning!" In this small way, he was letting his light shine before others. We can do the same no matter what our occupation is. As a writer and editor, I can use the light of my yellow ray to teach and inspire people and help other writers teach and inspire people and better their lives.

What is your purpose? Whatever it is, do it in such a way that you shine your rays of Light upon others.