I found this book in my grandma’s basement a month ago. I was skeptical when I read the title – The Life You Were Born to Live: a Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose – as I already have my own philosophy of life and I know what my purpose here is. Regardless, something within compelled me to take it and read it, so I did. And I am so grateful.
Opening the book I had no idea it was going to be based on Numerology. Before reading Millman’s take on it I had some knowledge of the system but didn’t give much credit to it. Kind of like astrology. I can see what makes both systems appealing, and some things I can identify with, but I’m not a fervent follower of anything but my own realizations. Thus, the skepticism prevailed.
As I was looking through different life paths, reading things here and there about my friends and close ones, something hit me. Everyone has a different path. Different purposes. Different battles, different issues and obstacles. Different successes and achievements. It seems obvious now, but the realization was intense. I could not bring myself to read the entirety of different life paths; I could not find anything relatable in there. It talked about successes that I have never experienced, and discussed hurdles that I could not even fathom struggling with.
on the mountain path of personnal evolution, as we work to fulfill our life purpose, we engage in a creative struggle with negative or undevelopped tendencies related to our life purpose.
Dan Millman
We all have a different purpose. Different lived experiences. Different processes to get to where we’re going. This whole time, I had been talking about my path as if I had figured out The Path. As if I knew what Life is all about and that everyone had to go through the same struggles that I went through. That everyone had to gather the same pieces of wisdom that I did. Then how could any conversation have been interesting? I learn so much from my interactions with others; I certainly wouldn’t learn as much if we were all going the same way and following the same trail.
My ignorance leeched in my behaviours, and my partner often told me that I had a condescending way of talking about the way things are. It hurt to acknowledge, but it hurt more to think of the people that might have felt insignificant because of me. As if their struggles weren’t relevant.
This is a good lesson learned, and I am so grateful for this book to have made its appearance in my life, as things do. It’s quite an interesting volume; I definitely recommend it if you’re keen on examining your most intense defilements. Somethings are difficult to acknowledge, but being frank with ourselves is necessary to evolve. As Millman says, “even though we may begin down in the swamp, we eventually rise to the heavens.” (p.13)
Positively Bee 