I firmly believe that manifesting our unique sense of purpose is the core dimension of health and wellness, from which all else flows.

When we are living in alignment with our unique purpose for being on this planet, we are intrinsically motivated to take care of ourselves through choosing behaviors that are pro-life and pro-health.

At the intuitive level, I firmly believe that the very cells and organs of our bodies respond in a positive manner when our consciousness is imbued with an overriding sense of attunement to our calling in life.

I have always been fascinated by the fact that throughout history, famous inventors, authors, composers and other persons whose lives were characterized by a profound sense of creativity and purpose have consistently enjoyed life spans far in excess of their contemporaries.
 
Look at the obituaries in your local paper - you will consistently find reports of people who "left their mark on the world" and lived far into their 80s and 90s (not uncommonly beyond age 100), despite the fact that the current life expectancy at birth hovers around 75 years.

When we wake up every morning with an expectation that we will fill our day with activities that are truly meaningful and rewarding, our bodies respond very positively to this life-affirming message.

I truly believe that the royal road to longevity lies in living in attunement with our unique sense of purpose.

Manifesting Your Unique Sense of Purpose

If you are struggling with finding and following your special sense of purpose in life, you are not alone. To embrace your destiny or dharma, you must let your heart be your guide.

To facilitate this inner dialog, you may want to take a mini-retreat into nature and do some reflective soul searching. This might take the form of a walk up into the hills, or a long stroll along a deserted section of the beach.

Take a notepad with you, get still and quiet, and spend some time reflecting on the following questions:

What would you really like to do with the rest of your life, assuming that money were no object?

What were your favorite courses in school, what are your favorite hobbies or pastimes, and what do these things tell you about yourself and your dreams?

Projecting yourself many years into the future - what sort of legacy do you want to leave behind when you are finally ready to depart from this life?

Once you have begun to zero in on what seems to ring true as your unique sense of destiny, you then need to get busy doing the legwork to transform your dreams into reality.

Chances are you are probably experiencing a significant gap between what you would ideally like to be doing with your life, and how you are currently living your life on a day-to-day basis.

At this point, the important thing is to consciously ask yourself "How can I begin to close this gap, taking one step at a time?"

Be creative. Plot your goals, visualize a pathway leading to their realization, and identify some simple and manageable starting points.

For example, if you would like to make a career shift, you don't need to necessarily quit your "day job" right now. Ask yourself what you can be doing over the weeks and months ahead to move yourself closer to your ultimate goal - and get started today!

The key is to open up your heart and listen to your dreams - and do the necessary legwork, one day at a time. Along these lines, one of my favorite sources of inspiration is the following quote attributable to David Copperfield:

"Whenever I pursue my dreams I discover something astonishing - I discover myself. My secret has been to consider nothing impossible. Then to treat possibilities as probabilities…When I dream, I believe that I am rehearsing my future."

Just as I believe that following our central purpose is the royal road to health and longevity, I also believe that it forms an essential cornerstone for effective sobriety maintenance.

When you are truly committed to living a life of purpose, you will be fully motivated to work the steps, follow your sponsor's guidance, and to do everything within your power to create a life that is truly worth living.

To your health!

~ ~

Also see Dr. Newport’s site www.wellnessandrecovery.com

and his book: The Wellness-Recovery Connection: Charting Your Pathway to Optimal Health While Recovering from Alcoholism and Drug Addiction