Last week I taught the “Why you are here” lesson at school and after school classes.
It’s a pretty deep concept for kids, but it is also a very important one.
“What is your purpose on Earth? “Why are you here?”
Here are some of the kids’ answers:
- God made us to be awesome
- Look after animals
- Look after my family
- Look after people
- Look after nature
- Look after my self
- Be me
- Be kind, caring, helpful, honest, have nice manners
- Do my best
- Learn
- Make the world a better place
- Have fun
- Be happy
Pretty profound hey?
In a recent article http://sparkyandshady.com/how-to-notice-the-difference/ I focused on how our kids make a difference every day in Sparky ways. They do this when they smile, help, take turns, listen, give us a cuddle, look after something or someone else, be kind, caring, honest, use their manners, do their best, etc.
Let’s go one step further…
Your child is here to fulfil a unique role or purpose on earth that only they can fulfil. It is like the earth is one big jigsaw puzzle and your child is a piece of this puzzle. When they are born their puzzle piece is put in place and it stays in place indefinitely. No one else can ever take your child’s place.
Okay let’s keep going with this…
Deep in your child’s heart (Sparky) they KNOW that they are here to do something that no one else on the planet can do in the exact same way that they can. Deep down they know what it is they are here to do and they are continually nudged, guided and directed on the path they need to be on to learn what they need to learn so they can live their unique life purpose. (I reckon this could be interpreted as the ‘love’ part of the Aboriginal Proverb!)
Our children’s unique life purposes range from small and seemingly insignificant to big and significant. It isn’t the size, prestige, fame or fortune that matters it is finding and doing your thing because that is how you share your LOVE!
As you can see on the FB page – I recently went with Jeremy to Sculpture by the Sea in Sydney because he has an artwork in it! That’s a big deal and a big thing. I suspect Jeremy’s unique life purpose is to bring awareness to the demise of physical land, nature and culture in a way that touches our hearts and inspires us to do something about it. Yes, it is fantastic that he is ‘doing his thing’ but the size of his thing doesn’t matter. (Sorry, no pun intended!) Even though Jeremy’s ‘thing’ potentially gets him masses of public attention, fame and fortune it does not make Jeremy more important than anyone else on the planet.
Let me explain why…
On the same trip to Sydney I met up with a very wealthy friend who is a mum of four. She lives on the eastern beaches and chooses not to work because her husband has a high paying job and she knows her purpose is to provide a loving, calm and ‘stress free’ environment for her husband and kids. Doing this makes her feel loving, happy and content (a sure sign that you are doing your thing)!
Shady judges some people’s unique life purposes as bigger, better, and more important than other people’s. “Thanks Shady, I love you but that’s absolutely not true!”
You, me and each of our beautiful kids have a unique life purpose that is IMPORTANT. The size of our life purpose doesn’t matter, nor does the fame, fortune or prestige it brings (Shady measures these things and tries to make life a competition – but how can life be a competition when NO ONE else can possibly do what you, me and our kids are uniquely designed to do?)
Our kids have everything within them to find their thing (Sparky). Whether their thing is being a supportive mum, a truck driver, a pizza delivery person, a teacher, a doctor, a plumber or an artist, it doesn’t matter.
What matters is that feeling in our heart (love, happiness and contentment) when we know we have found our thing and the difference we make when we do our thing. Whether you throw a big rock or a small rock in the water – it still makes ripples!
When we encourage our kids to follow their dreams, their passion and their joy, we give them permission to be who they really are, learn what they need to learn, find their unique life purpose and do what they are really here to do.
When our kids are doing what they are really here to do, their jigsaw puzzle piece lights up in the most beautiful and inspiring way to bring love, happiness, fulfilment and contentment to them and to everyone their ripple reaches!
Let’s encourage our kids to make their difference so they can live loving, happy and fulfilling lives!
Love Kathy
PS Deepak Chopra calls our unique life purpose our ‘dharma’. Check out these articles if you are up for more… http://www.chopra.com/articles/the-law-of-dharma-or-purpose-in-life http://www.chopra.com/articles/finding-your-life’s-purpose