The Overwhelming Power of Purpose

Over the last few years I've come to look at purpose as an important and necessary part of life.  There is actually literature on how purpose has a positive impact on our lives.  There is also a darker side to purpose.  It can be overwhelming.  I've never fully understood this until today.  Much of my life has been driven by purpose.  In fact, I'm a very purposeful person.  As I wrote about last night, for the past two months, I've literally had a singular, all encompassing, purpose.  That isn't a good thing.  Everything in moderation, even purpose.  If a purpose becomes an obsession, if it acts to the exclusion of everything else, it is not healthy.  That's when I realized where meditation comes in.

I've meditated every day this year.  But have I? Has my mind truly mastered the art of meditation?  Or, have I often been going through the motions, completing my daily meditation because it's been a goal?  In a way, this isn't unlike the conversation I had with my coach a couple of days ago about working out.  Whether it be running, or doing pushups and squats, I haven't been able to "get into it" lately.  Of course not, my mind has been consumed with one singular purpose, and there's been no room for anything else.  That's where meditation comes in.

Meditation is about being in the moment.  Meditation is about not letting any one thing take over our minds.  Meditation is about letting thoughts pass through our brains, but not allowing them to take control.  Meditation is about being at peace.  

When ones sense of purpose becomes all consuming, we actually lose control of ourselves.  It's like control over driving the car is taken over by an outside force (or, in this case, an inside force).  The force is purpose, but it's only one force amongst many that we live our lives with and for.  That's the point.  Purpose is important, but it should'd be all consuming.  It should be a balanced part of our lives.  

I've had the habit since I was a child to watch television while doing other work.  I never realized the reason that I do this.  My brain is often working in multiple directions at one time.  Ironically, right now, my brain is focused in a singular direction. The idea of meditation, and the counter intuitive idea of not letting my purpose overwhelm me, is that the true importance of "being in the moment" is actually being in the moment, regardless of purpose.