“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it”
― Gautama Buddha

You’ve lost something. We all have.

It happened as you aged.

Somewhere along the road of life, at some point, it slipped out of your pocket and fell to the ground. You didn’t even notice it was gone until many years had passed, then you began to look for it. But, those years were full of wind, storms and piling sand. And now, what you’ve lost is now covered. It sits there still, buried under years of weather, hidden under the debris of life.

It is the point of purpose.

This is what you’ve lost, and now your 8 year-old self is crying.

We all had this happen. This fleeting moment, where we once stood as an innocent child with our eyes wide to the world of possibility, instantly vanishes before our wide eyes. And then almost as instantly, we stand, grown up. Our innocence lost, the point of our purpose vanished, vanquished from our lives

But what is the point of purpose?

Could we say our purpose is the point?

No, we cannot. At least, not yet.

First, we must understand the point OF our purpose. This is why we feel our purpose is what it is. This is the heart of our heart, the beat within our soul. This is why we are called to do the thing we must do, to fulfill the unborn legacy that only exists in the mind of our 8 year-old crying self.

This is finding the missing piece that we lost long ago.

I often refer to my childhood, particularly to the age of 8. For me this was a very significant age. It was when I became intrepid, burning with a sense and desire for exploring my world and discovering anything deemed “new.”

But this was my pivotal time. For others it could be 3, 6, 12 or any age really. But generally speaking, between the ages of 3 and 10 we have our most forming experiences of self-identity. It is during this time when we have a point to what purpose we must follow. We develop a compass that directs us toward something. Though during these young ages we haven’t a clue as to what a purpose is, or to what our purpose will be.

And so goes the game of life.

We’re either too young to understand, or we’ve grown too old to remember why.

We get caught up in life, buried within the debris of our choices. We forget why we are where we are, but we all started with a point. We all started trying to get somewhere, to accomplish something. We all felt a fire begin burning inside us, and we all watched as it grew dim.

But all is not lost..

To find the point of your purpose you must simply ask yourself one question.

Why would my 8 year-old self be crying?

It is within this question, when you recall that pivotal age, that day, that memory where you stood and looked the world in the eye for the first time.

And you said to the world…

This is who I am.

I would ask all who are seeking; call on your childhood. Remember the child that you once were. It is in that innocent mind where you will find your purest joy, your greatest gift and your first glimpse of life’s beauty.

Now I do realize that many have found their point of purpose, and many are living it; fully realized and without a shadow of doubt. And for this I am thankful, and it is this which gives me hope that all may find this hidden treasure and embrace it wholeheartedly. But, as it happens, many have not.

Many are lost…

But, your 8 year-old self cries for a purpose.

He cries as a reminder, a reminder to have faith in this life. To never give up and always pay attention to the simple things, to the subtle beauty, to the deepest love and to the hidden joy.

In finding your simplest and most innocent moment, you will find your 8 year-old self.

And then,

You will find that piece, uncovered, sitting right where you left it so long ago.

Wipe the tears, and find this beautiful life once again.