You were born for a reason.

Agree or disagree?

The notion that your life has a purpose might be reassuring, or stressful.

What’s my purpose? Why am I here?

Ask these questions more than a few times and you’ll find yourself in a tail spin.

How do you know what your purpose is?

If your life doesn’t seem to have meaning or value, the question “What am I here for?” leads to disappointment.

Mostly because the notion of purpose is wrapped up with the idea that our purpose has to be ground breaking, or world changing.

But what if there is a quieter, yet deeply satisfying and remarkable way to live the purpose behind your existence.

The path of awakening
Since the day you were born Life has called you to awaken.

To rouse you from the deadening trance you’re inevitably conditioned to follow, and discover a remarkable, authentic life.

But Life will not demand that you wake up.

Her call is often subtle, like a whisper. At other times, her beckon breaks through your conventional life like a dam breaking.

But either way, you’re always at choice to heed or ignore her invitation.

In this edition of Heart Notes I want to talk about three signs that tell you you’re being called to awaken: Discomfort. Knowing and Sensitivity. In part two, I’ll talk about four more.

1. Something doesn’t feel right.
You know that something about the way you live your life, or the way life is, isn’t right. Perhaps you’ve felt this way for a long time. Or it may be a relatively new experience.

If the ‘something isn’t right’ feeling is ignored, it eats away inside. You end up feeling empty or lost.

I first felt the ‘something isn’t right’ feeling as a young child. I would look out on the world and was puzzled with the way adults behaved. I sensed that all too often adult behavior was out of step with their heart.

I secretly entertained the thought that I’d somehow landed on the wrong planet.

Being a reflective child I turned my discomfort into ‘there must be something wrong with me’. Depression was the result. Later in life this same discomfort became the driving force to understand how healing happens.

You might get busy trying to fill the hole with food, work, stuff or relationships. But because emptiness is a symptom of a disconnect with your true self, no amount of filling or fixing will eliminate the dis-ease.

What’s needed is for your soul to marry with your attention. So that you fall in love with yourSelf.

The ‘something isn’t right’ feeling can also happen when life is good.

You might have a solid career and loving relationships. And yet inside, you feel dissatisfied.

You might even feel a bit guilty for feeling this way. After all, from the outside your life seems perfectly acceptable.

The call to awaken is not quieted by achieving cultural markers of happiness.

But rest assured; you’re being called to wake up. To discover the mystery and magic beyond your day to day life.

2. You’re sensitive to suffering.
You feel the pain of others; animal and human. Or you sense the distress of Gaia straining to balance a toxic load and climate change.

You may be the one in the family, or the workplace, who tries to help, heal and rescue.

Others judge you for being ‘too sensitive’, ‘extreme’ or ‘too emotional’.

Your sensitivity to pain may become a burden. Or leave you feeling helpless. If you don’t nourish yourself first.

The truth is your sensitivity is a blessing. It is Life’s calling card telling you have the ability to recognize the path of your true self. And, if you choose, to assume the role of a guide; as a healer, way shower, educator and encourager.

3.You know that our world can become a better place.
When I was about six years old I remember raising my hand to answer a question in class. I don’t remember the question but I do recall that I used the word ‘evolve’ in my response.

My teacher heard my reply, as did the school Principal, who was on one of her weekly rounds. The Principal remarked that I’d used a ‘big’ word.

I gathered that ‘evolve’ was considered advanced vocabulary for a six year old.

I suppose I should have been impressed with myself, but what struck me was how I felt. Thud. It was as though I had dropped from a great height and landed in my body.

Looking back, I recognize that my response came from my soul. By the time I was a teen I felt a magnetic pull to study the marriage of human consciousness and the mystery of life’s origin. This quest only deepens and matures as my life develops.

When was the first time you imagined a better world? Did you feel a longing to love as a child? Was your desire for peace ignited by a specific event?

Maybe you had a difficult start in life that motivates you to heal. Perhaps your family instilled in you the value of caring. For some, injustice acts as the catalyst to stir the soul’s desire to serve.

Your reason to create a loving and harmonious world is less important than saying “YES”. Yes to your desire. Yes to your vision. Yes to your outrageous and seemingly unfounded certainty that we can shape a world in the image of Love.

If you’ve read this list and nodded. Not an intellectual nod. But as body, heart nod. then these signs and signals are speaking the language of your heart and soul.

Heed them.

They deliver you home. To create a life that brings you joy and fulfillment. And show you how to put to use your energy, skills and vision to transform our world into a replica of it’s essence; Love.