Your Life Purpose Is To Flourish

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?

You started as a seed, then came out of your mother’s womb as a beautiful young seedling full of mysterious potential. After years of growing up, you developed a root system, a trunk, as well as some branches.

But there is more to life than the 9-to-5 routine and the cycle of get up-work-take care of others-sleep-repeat, and you can feel this call for more getting louder and louder in your heart. What kind of fruit is your tree meant to grow? What’s the mysterious potential with which you came into the world?

This yearning for “more” is not about getting more stuff or about waiting for the world to change to accommodate you better; it’s the call to live your life purpose, to become more of who you are meant to be. It is to discover and grow the unique fruits that your tree-self is meant to produce and offer to the world. It’s to be the change we want to see in the world.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs beautifully illustrates our need for self-actualization, and also how we get there. Maslow’s pyramid shows us why we can’t truly flourish before all our other essential needs are taken care of. Basically, it demonstrates that we can’t produce fruits without having a well-nourished root system, a solid and stable trunk able to survive storms and fires, and the protection of the forest to thrive as a community of trees sharing resources and support.

First step: Your basic physiological needs and your safety (Levels 1 and 2):

Even though it might look like we’re all good with the first two levels if we have a safe place to sleep and food in the fridge, it’s worth double-checking how well we’re really doing here. As a coach working with people seeking support to achieve the needs of Levels 3, 4 or 5, the need for more work in the first two levels is constantly revealed. Ask yourself: Do you sleep well and enough? Is your regular diet supporting your unique organism? Do you feel energized and strong without needing caffeine and other substances? Is your household running smoothly and efficiently? Are your finances healthy and able to support you long-term?

I know, right? There is always work to do with the first two levels. We need to nourish our roots and maintain our safety and security as we cycle through the seasons of life.

Second step: Developing your network of support (Level 3):

The third level is about love, connection and support. It’s an essential need that we all have regardless of our introversion or extroversion levels. We can’t function as a solo tree; we live in forests, our root systems deeply interconnected to share resources. And it takes specific skills to build and nurture mutually satisfying relationships with others, and thrive in the delicate balance of giving and receiving. It’s an essential step to focus on, as you work towards the top of the pyramid. How well do you listen? How do you express your needs and maintain your boundaries? How do you collaborate with others? How do you balance caring for yourself and others? How do you nurture your most precious relationships?

Third Step: Discovering what you are meant to do, and doing it (Levels 4 and 5):

It’s difficult, if not impossible, to discover what you are meant to do - and to do it joyfully - when you feel overwhelmed by the demands of the first three levels of the pyramid. Having the needs of the first three levels truly met actually means that there is ease in fulfilling these needs – at least most of the time – and that there is spaciousness to devote to other aspects of life. If all your time and energy is spent working too much to fund an out-of-balance lifestyle, busily taking care of others at the expense of yourself, and therefore being exhausted and overwhelmed as you are keeping too many balls in the air, there is no space for the slower creative process of discovering who you are, manifesting your intention, and living a truly fulfilling life. How can you simplify your life and create space? How can you find balance between self-care and the care of others? How can you encourage the other members of your household to create spaciousness too?

With spring in full bloom, how would you like to blossom in this season of renewal? What needs are you going to focus on? And most importantly, who will support you in your journey?

*** Current offerings:

Starting in May 2022, I will have space for two new coaching clients! Contact me if you’re interested in being skillfully and lovingly guided on your journey of self-actualization.