By: Indu Gulliani
Source: The Daily Guardian  https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/1624/the-daily-guardian/13
Dated: November 9, 2024

At some point in each one’s life, the question arises, ‘why am I here?’  Each one of us feels the need to have some kind of purpose in life, and those who find their ‘raison d'etre’, are very lucky. Whether or not we consciously become aware of our purpose, there is a reason for being alive on this earth, and being where we are and who we are with.

Of course, as life goes on, our personal goals and aims, our temporary purposes, change. When we are young, we have a career to study and work for. When we are older, we have families to raise. These purposes occupy a great deal of our time, and when the job is secured and the family leave home, there is often a sense of having lost our purpose. However, each stage of life is precious and prepares us for the next phase, our further purpose.

Despite all these necessary preoccupations in life, within each one there lies a deeper purpose – one of spiritual growth and realisation. To access this deeper purpose, the practice of meditation is invaluable. In the silence and calm of meditation, our purpose becomes clear. Those who have that fortune of this understanding, can then focus, concentrate and work towards fulfilling that purpose - by applying spiritual principles, and endeavour each day to step that bit closer to fulfilment.

One of the most important aspects of the journey is to take great care of our thoughts. Negative thoughts will magnetise and attract negative responses. Positive and elevated thoughts attract positive and elevated situations and people into our lives. When we think too much, worry too much, we lose our sense of purpose. So, there are three things we can pay attention to:

1. Protect the self from negativity. Whatever negativity we allow to go ‘in’ to our minds will affect us far more than we realise. That is why those who meditate avoid watching too much television or spending time with people who drain our energy, because they are continually looking on the dark side of life. Centres of meditation are special places to spend time in. They hold vibrations of the highest kind, and meditation is easier there. There are others to meet who understand the value of positivity and conversations are light and helpful.
2. Increase emotional stability by avoiding being affected and upset by small or imagined hurts and difficulties. Dadi Janki, the late Administrative Head of the Brahma Kumaris was once asked, at the age of 100 years, what her aim was. She replied ‘to remain peaceful in all situations’ – a truly powerful purpose.
3. Maintain good relationships whatever happens. That is not as easy as it sounds, nor is it always possible. What is possible, is that any damage to a relationship that I am aware of, is nearly always repairable, and that should always be part of my spiritual purpose.

Everyone has their own purpose, whether they have yet become aware of it or not. It is not our place to judge the purpose, or even the apparent lack of purpose, of those around us. I must keep my own purpose in mind, help others as far as possible on their own journeys and remain in my natural, eternal state of peace, whatever the challenges I face. In meditation I can find and follow my purpose, in meditation I can surrender the outcome to the Supreme Being, and keep the destination in mind. Every journey has side scenes, those are not for me to try to change, become involved with or even spend too much time thinking about. I notice the side scenes, and with good wishes wave farewell, as I move ahead on my own journey.

Indu Guilliani is the Coordinator 
of the Brahma Kumaris center 
Leicester, UK