Living One’s Purpose

I recently read Charles Eisenstein’s Mutiny of the Soul which is a fabulous essay I would recommend you read (after you are done with this post, of course). Mr. Eisenstein’s essay has created a whirlwind of ideas in my mind, most of them having to do with living one’s true purpose. I would say that most of us either do not know or are afraid to pursue our inner calling, but I believe it will eke its way out one way or another. I personally know a postman who is a frustrated poet, a policeman who does stand up comedy, a software engineer who throws pottery, and a nurse manager who excels at ballroom dancing. Each of us has a special and beautiful gift within us that yearns to be celebrated and expressed. So it is with my sister.

I count my sister among the lucky–she DOES know her true calling. It’s art. She is a brilliant artist and creator. I have envied her abilities all my life. My attempts at drawing look like I had a seizure with a box of crayons in my hand. Sissy, though, can draw, paint, sculpt, and throw pottery. Basically, if you can touch it, she can make it more beautiful. Like most of us, she has taken a job which does not fully engage her creativity. Her inner artist, however, always finds her way to the surface.

As so many really creative people are, she is easily distracted and somewhat compulsive. I awoke to a text sent by her at 1:50 am explaining that she had just finished shearing her dog. She had attached this picture with the caption “Free to good home. Only eats dust bunnies. Subject to shedding.”

As you can see, after grooming her pup, she swept the clippings into the shape of yet another dog.  I love the coquettish tilt of his head, as though he were attending her every word as she swept him into existence, poised and ready to do her bidding.

One could argue that the fatigue of a late night of dog grooming would be enough to explain this artistic foray, but this is not an isolated event. A few days later she sent me this picture of the meal she had prepared for her family.

She explained that it was a ground turkey meatloaf dressed as a pig to make it more appealing. I was very impressed with the detail of the cloven hoofs and curly tail of bacon, as well as the accuracy of the bodily proportions. While visually stunning, apparently it fell short in the flavor department. Per her report, it tasted like chicken. She’s an artist, people, not a chef.

So, as you can see, there are a great many ways to celebrate the true purpose for which your soul was created. I write a blog while my sister sculpts animals out of discarded parts of other animals. Ask your soul “what do you really want?”. More importantly, listen to the answer. Start small. Express your true self. It will bring joy to you and to the world. I promise.

Afterword: After I posted this, I went to check the layout on the blog. Google Ads, in all their wisdom, chose “At Home Pet Euthanasia” as the top line banner ad for this post. I don’t think they read the whole story…