Mindful Living: 3 Things that Hold You Back From Your Life Purpose

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.” – Maya Angelou

At one point or another, we all ask ourselves, “What’s my purpose for being here?”. 

For some of us, this question is the foundation of a wonderful voyage of discovery and learning that brings us to our life purpose. For others, we can’t get beyond the question and start the process of discovery because our own limiting beliefs and habits are holding us back.

If you’re trying to figure out your life purpose, but struggling to move beyond the question, then here are 3 things that may be holding you back:

1.) Letting your ego lead

At our core, we’re all spiritual beings having a human experience. But all too often, we get caught up in the illusion of the material world, and our physical bodies.

We let our ego’s (otherwise known as “edging God out”) lead, and the ego is focused on one thing and one thing only: personal, physical gain. 

The reality is, you are so much more than what meets the physical eye. And this is a truth your ego cannot bear because it fears its own demise. That’s why the ego tries to control your physical life — because it cannot control your spiritual life — and tempts you to identify solely with your physical body, and the material world.

But, if you are what you have then what happens when those things are gone — are you no longer? 

And if you what you do, then what happens when you’re not doing that thing — are you no longer? 

You see, your life purpose extends so far beyond your possessions, what’s in your bank account, what you look like, your job title etc. And once you realize this, you free yourself from the confines of the need to acquire “more”, and open the doors of discovery to your true calling and purpose.

2.) Lack of forgiveness

We’ve all made mistakes, and said and done things we didn’t mean to say or do. No one is perfect, and oftentimes it’s those mistakes we make (and wish we hadn’t) that teach us the most in life.

But, all too often, we get stuck on obsessing over the things that were said or done (by ourselves or others) and end up in a negative and all-consuming state of resentment.

In our “stuck” state, it’s impossible for us to discover or live in alignment with our life purpose because we’re too concerned with the past, and hanging onto negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

That’s why forgiveness is so important. Regardless of what someone else has said or done to you — or what you’ve said or done to yourself or others — let it go!

By forgiving yourself and others, you’ll release pent-up negative emotions, and be able to freely move forward with your life in a positive and happy manner.

One more thing to keep in mind: true forgiveness doesn’t come with contingencies. It’s given freely and without expectation. When you’re able to do this, you’ll experience true freedom and healing.

3.) Resistance to change

Life is always evolving, always moving. And when we resist this natural process, we, in turn, resist our own growth.

And that’s not to say that change is easy. Sometimes it’s downright scary, and it’s the fear of change that ends up holding us back. We don’t take our dream job because we think we’re not ready. We don’t move to where we want to be because we can’t see how it will all work out. We don’t risk taking the chance because we’re afraid of every possible scenario. 

But change is going to happen whether we like it or not. Change is going to happen whether we’re ready or not. And we can either resist it, and get stuck in a constant state of struggle, or we can learn to embrace it and trust that we’ll be okay.

When it comes to change, don’t let fear lead and keep you stuck. You can’t find your life purpose if you always try to stay right where you are. Have faith and know that life is leading you right to where you need to be…

Now that you know what’s holding you back from your life purpose, what are you going to do about it? 

Xx,

Antasha

About Antasha Durbin: Antasha is a spiritual writer, life-long student of the universe, and psychic tarot card reader. Her website, cajspirituality.com, is dedicated to casualizing the spiritual experience and making it attainable for anyone, anywhere, anytime. Follow her for free, easy-to-digest and highly actionable advice on spirituality, mindfulness and empowered living.