Non-Doing

"I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope

For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love,

For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith

But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.

Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:

So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing."

                                                     -T.S. Elliot

Reading this except from "East Coker," resonated how sometimes the best action to take in life is none at all. Just let life unfold. We often seek to control our outcomes and deny our realities causing us to live in turmoil. Letting go of control and accepting all that happens to us allows us to morph into our best selves and releases us from feeling anxiety about the future or depression from our past. It allows us to be present in the Now and let things naturally come about. 

So how do I live a life full of purpose without taking control?

I do believe one should set goals that direct you to where you want to go in life, but sometimes the best thing is to focus on how you want to feel instead of honing in on every detail of getting there. We are shaped by our experiences, insecurities, and relationships with others and that influences the way we see the world and the life we live. We often set goals that we don't really want and that cannot generate the feelings we want to attain, causing us to feel discontent. If you change your outlook on how you want to feel, instead of what you want to have, you won't need to take control because you won't be searching for more.

What are your goals in life? I'll tell you mine.

1. I want to feel happy.
2. I want to feel connected with others.
3. I want to feel loved and love.
4. I want to feel generous and give back.

Although these aren't focused on a particular thing, it sets intentions that I can work on in my day to day life. Visualizing how I want to feel, generates thoughts that later become actions and thus a reality.

Take the time to write down your goals and reflect on the feelings they transpire within you. You will gain an awareness of what is actually important in your life and how you seek to live a life full of purpose.