Dig Deep

a little digging
Originally uploaded by edartr

My friend Laura is a digger. She also is a finder and a seeker. (And a keeper!) She is always digging within to find what's real for herself beyond what everyone around her defines her to be. She seeks meaning and purpose daily.

Laura appears to have it all, and for the most part she does. She's beautiful, funny, a great friend, talented and smart -- the glowing adjectives could be endless. But as Laura says, these descriptions (as nice as they are) are like the wads of chewing gum people stick to you. For good or bad, throughout a lifetime, you continue to morph into what other people perceive you to be. Sometimes that's hard to live down -- and even worse to continue to live up to.

But Laura keeps digging under the chewing gum. She wants to live authentically, even if it means discarding some of those sticky wads that can shape us and limit us. Laura wants to live a creative life and a life that she has created. A life that has more on the list of "things I love to do" and less on the "things that must get done" list. The latter list is like kudzu -- it can take over without a purpose to keep it in line.

Creating your own life means having a purpose, being bold, and designing a plan. And to do that, you must keep asking questions of yourself. Who am I? What do I value? What do I want from life?

Here's a daily email meditation Laura sent me recently about the digging required to find purpose. I think it could be her mantra. Try it out for yourself . Maybe it can be yours too.


Look for the reasons behind the reasons. There is some reason
for everything you have chosen to do or to be.

Behind each reason is another reason that drives it, and a
whole string of reasons, reaching to your very core. Dig
deep enough, and connect with your most treasured purposes.

The more clearly you know who you are, the more elevated
your perspective becomes. Develop a solid understanding of
your very own fundamental reasons why, and you'll find
multiple opportunities for moving forward.

When you're in touch with your purpose, you'll find that
many of the external things you see as necessities are not
really necessities at all. The less you need, the more
abundant and fulfilling your life will be.

Know why you do what you do, and you'll understand how to do
it more effectively. When there is authentic passion driving
your actions, those actions get results.

Where there is a real and meaningful reason, fulfillment
naturally follows. Find your deepest reason why, and
activate your most powerful abilities to make it so.

Ralph Marston