Discover Meaning and Purpose: The Path to a Life Well-Lived

Meaning:

To skillfully explore any topic, we must understand the meaning and feeling of what defines a word. I enjoy thinking about words as containers for whole ideas. As if each word is a ship that carries your message out beyond your body and has a real impact on the world. There are very loaded words, or very big ships, such as death, life, love, hate, war, bliss, etc. Some words are like battleships, others are like ferries transporting ideas from one island to another. We know from experience that a certain combination of words can create a mental and emotinal storm, while the artful use of words can calm that very same storm.

Let the exploration of meaning begin. . .

Etymology of Meaning:

“Meninge, "sense, that which is intended to be expressed," also "act of remembering,” verbal noun from mean (v.). Sense of "significance, import" is from the 1680s”

Sense . . . what does this mean? When I first read it i didn’t relate, so like a word detective, I googled that sh+*.

Etymology of Sense:

“"meaning, signification, interpretation" (especially of Holy Scripture); c. 1400, "the faculty of perception;" from Old French sens "one of the five senses; meaning; wit, understanding" (12c.) and directly from Latin sensus "perception, feeling, undertaking, meaning," from sentire "perceive, feel, know."

This probably is a figurative use of a literal meaning "find one's way," or "go mentally." According to Watkins and others, this is from a PIE root *sent- "to go" (source also of Old High German sinnan "to go, travel, strive after, have in mind, perceive," German Sinn "sense, mind," Old English sið "way, journey," Old Irish set, Welsh hynt "way").”

My conclusion and analysis on these two ships. . .

Your senses are significant. What you perceive and how you intereperate what you perceive is important. To “find one’s way,” is to find your way through life by percieving and intereperating, somewhere between the two is where your creative powers lie. As information from the outside world trickles in through your senses, what kind of conclusions are you drawing? What kind of emotional responses are you expereincing based on the stimuli? Are you able to receive the information the way it is intended to be expressed, or is it being twisted and colored as you interpret it? Essentially, do you have a clean lens of perception? And if not, are you aware of what ideas and emotions color your lenses? Artful crafting of your lenses can make the difference between a life lived in anxiety and a life lived in peace.

To precieve and interperate is only half of the equation, the other half is expressing what you intend (which starts with knowing your intentions, we will get to that later on). As you express what you mean, you give meaning to your words and actions. Expression is also where your creative powers lie. As you get in touch with what you intend, you get to choose what words, colors, notes, or flavors best support you in artfully expressing what you mean.

Meaning is created. Significance is bestowed as you process and express information from within and around you. You are always applying meaning to your experience, so to experience a life of purpose or a well lived life, you have to create it. Let’s discover the way.

I’d like to share a perspective from my artful lens-crafting that brings great meaning to my life; my lens on plants. When I see a tree, or hear leaves rustle in the wind, or smell the sweet fragrance of a ylang ylang I am filled with gratitude. I choose to perceive them as dear friends who come bearing gifts for me and all other living beings. When I lay in the yard surrounded by plants, I interpret that I am safe, held, seen, loved, and protected. My lens allows me to generate authentic feelings of respect for plants and all they provide. I get to decide how to express this respect. I express myself by learning about the medicinal use of plants. I talk to plants, I hug trees, I protect trees. I can often be heard reminding my fellow humans that plants are what make the whole world run. This lens brings both beauty and pain. When I observe our collective abuse and expoitation of the plant kingdom for profit, I feel anger, sadness, and helplessness. My relationship with plants informs my decision making and I find great purpose and meaning in living in a way that is respectful to the plant kingdom.

Dis-cover the Path:

“Many paths lead from the foot of the mountain, but at the peak we all gaze at the single bright moon.” ― Ikkyu

It is heartening to imagine life as a path we walk from birth, the foot of the mountain, and death, the single bright moon. As you sense your way up the mountain there are infinite path possibilities, you’ll discover things about the mountain, yourself, and the other climbers you bump into along the way. What does it mean to discover?

Etymology of Sense:

“Discoveren, "divulge, reveal, disclose, expose, lay open to view, betray someone's secrets," senses now obsolete, from stem of Old French descobrir "uncover, unroof, unveil, reveal, betray," from Medieval Latin discooperire, from Latin dis- "opposite of" (see dis-) + cooperire "to cover up, cover over, overwhelm, bury".

At first with a sense of betrayal or malicious exposure (discoverer originally meant "informant"). Also in Middle English used in literal senses, such as "to remove" (one's hat, the roof from a building). The meaning "to obtain the first knowledge or sight of what was before not known," the main modern sense, is by 1550s.”

I was surprised to learn about the relationship between discover and betrayal. There is a malicious undertone to this word that was not known before, and in a way I feel betrayed by discovery. Since this is all a metaphor for life, do I feel fundamentally betrayed by life? What a secret to expose.

Through the lens of meaning and sense, I have an opportunity to look at my interpretations and create artfully. So, here it goes. Is discovery both terrifying and exciting? Is betrayal a natural side effect to discovering something I didn’t know before, positive or negative? Is betrayal part of the sacred wound of being alive? Is the experience of betrayal, or b-trail, a guide post that points me back to the a-trail, or my own personal path? If betrayal and exposure are a natural part of living, then how can I learn to relate with these feelings and experiences in purposful way?

Now for a vulnerable story of my own discovery and betrayal. At 28 years old, I was married and busy building a life around my primary relationship. In order to accomplish this, I needed to deny many aspects of my internal workings. Some benign, like a desire to get a pet when we weren’t in a position for one, and some desires so shameful that I didn’t even know they were there. One day seemingly out of nowhere, I was overwhelmed by sexual desire for a dear friend of mine. Betrayal! Am I gay? Am I Bi? Am I so hungry for connection that I am looking for it anywhere? I had just discovered an aspect of myself that threatened to destroy the life I was building. For a year I fought with these feelings and cried myself to sleep hoping these feelings weren’t real, but they were very real. Holding this inside created anxiety and depression, I was in fear of being discovered. This secret even began to manifest as physical illness. I eventually found the courage to dis-cover myself and betray my own secret. My then husband felt betrayed by my confession and trust was broken. This discovery eventually changed my entire life. The aspect of me that was very happy to contine in that marriage felt betrayed by an inner desire. Though this period was painful and confusing, It was full of golden lessons. I now see this experience like a chiropractic adjustment for my soul. An opportunity to get back to my a-trail. My entire life has felt more aligned since the adjustment.

Purpose on the Path

Etymology of Purpose

“Purpus, "intention, aim, goal; object to be kept in view; proper function for which something exists," from Anglo-French purpos, Old French porpos "an aim, intention,” from porposer "to put forth," from por- "forth" Old French poser "to put, place."

Etymologically it is equivalent to Latin propositium "a thing proposed or intended," but evidently formed in French from the same elements. From mid-14c. as "theme of a discourse, subject matter of a narrative, hence to the purpose "appropriate." On purpose "by design, intentionally" is attested from 1580s; earlier of purpose.”

To create purpose on your path it’s important to keep an intention in view and aim yourself in that direction. As you walk toward your intended purpose the path (of life itself) begins to serve its proper function, to show you the way forward.

How do you choose an intention or purpose? Become your own informant. Take time to dis-cover what you may have kept secret from yourself. Become aware of what you’re holding in view, work, family, goals, etc. and then ask yourself, “What does _______ mean to me? What interpretations am I drawing because I am looking at _________?” Ask yourself if you really want those things to be in your focus. If yes, then create beautiful art around it. If not, then discover a new pathway. As you become more aware of your lenses and what you already give a lot of meaning to, you will realize you’ve had intention and purpose this whole time. You just hadn’t givin it the significance it deserved or you stopped holding it in your view and may have found yourself on the b-trail.

Keep it simple, you don’t need to know your whole lifes purpose right now. Right now my intention is to complete this article. My mind, body, and spirit are all aimed at getting this information onto the screen. I get a sense of purpose with each sentence I complete. When I am finished, I’ll be in the kitchen where my intention is to make a meal. The vegetables, knife, cutting board, spices and pan have a purpose. I, too, am full of purpose because every action brings me closer to roasted vegetables. My intention for the day is to live well, and as I move towards that larger intention, this article and the cooking contribute to a well lived day and a well lived life.

Resources: All etymology information is from https://www.etymonline.com/