This is a book of thoughts. I've always been intrigued by thoughts. And now, in my mid-sixties, after a few successful careers, watching my kids grow into adults and having celebrated my 40th wedding anniversary, it has become clear to me that my life is definitely a direct reflection of the thoughts that I have held over all those years. I have read about this notion; and while intuitively it made sense to me, I now can say, with clarity, that my life is living proof that the emotional intensity and amount of time that I applied to a thought had a direct relationship to what results showed up in my life. My life has been a search for meaning and significance. The thoughts and quotes in this book have provided me with the greatest inspiration for reflection. I hope you take this book home - pick it up, put it down, reflect - and pick it up again and again.
A HIGHER PURPOSE
Living a Life of Meaning and SignificanceBy Jim RegerTrafford Publishing
Copyright © 2012 Jim Reger
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4669-0567-2Contents
Prologue......................................................viiDedication....................................................xiAcknowledgments...............................................xiiiIntroduction..................................................xvChapter 1—The Awakening.................................1Chapter 2—Purpose.......................................8Chapter 3—Cultural Influences...........................16Chapter 4—Becoming Ourselves............................23Chapter 5—Change and Transformation.....................31Chapter 6—Choice........................................40Chapter 7—Love, Fear and Happiness......................52About the Author..............................................59
Chapter One
The Awakening
"When faced with our own immortality, we no longer have time for insignificant matters—we have a greater calling beyond mere survival and the gratification of materialistic things that we have been conditioned to acquire. Our perspective changes and we recognize that we have a higher purpose in life. We do have a spiritual nature, a spiritual origin, and a spiritual destiny. What a shame it would be not to respond to our spiritual voice. When we listen, we will learn or remember who we really are." Jim
"If you are unaware and deny that there is any level of higher wisdom and guidance to your life, then the guidance must come through the density of physical events. Awareness first enters into an unaware personality through crisis.
... The awakening of the personality to the potential of the soul has come to require the loss of a mate, or the death of a child, or the collapse of a business, or some situation that renders the individual powerless. It requires the failure of external power.
... No understanding of evolution is adequate that does not have at its core that we are on a journey toward authentic power, and that authentic empowerment is the goal of our evolutionary process and the purpose of our being. We are evolving from a species that pursues external power into a species that pursues authentic power."
Gary Zukav The Seat of the Soul
"Those on the journey to living a higher-purpose life have a tenacious desire to live a life of meaning and significance. They tend to seek deeper, more loving and compassionate relationships. They live in the present and with a greater awareness of what they wish to create in their lives. They set their own moral standards, and one of their dominant qualities is a great respect for all of life. They recognize that the past is behind them, the future is the state towards which they are growing and the present is the path that will get them there. Their craft is the art of living, and they are their own work of art." Jim
"The spiritual quest usually begins as a search for purpose and meaning." Jim
"As we negotiate the curves and corners of our lives, we must continually give up parts of ourselves. The pain of giving up is the pain of death, but death of the old is birth of the new." M. Scott Peck, M.D.
"What do you want beyond economic and materialistic success? You often are clear about what you don't want before you are clear about what you do want. This question can be frustrating until you realize that you have to stop in order to change direction. The more certain you are about what you don't want, the sooner you will gain clarity about what is truly important. Be prepared to learn that there can be a difference between what you thought you wanted and what you really want. If you are uncertain about what you want and what is really important, you are bound to feel incomplete. This is a spiritual crisis; it is your soul's way of telling you to 'wake up.' If you recognize that the cause of the crisis is within, then you may become receptive to guidance that you would not have welcomed before; and then real change can begin, even though you fear what you may hear." Jim
"All men should learn before they die, what they are running from, and to, and why". James Thurber
"People can accept the inescapable fact of mortality. What frightens them more is the dread of insignificance, the notion that we will be born and live and one day die and none of it will matter .... people understand that the story of their lives has to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. But what they desperately want is to live long enough to get it right, to feel that they have done something worthwhile with their lives, however long." Harold S. Kushner Living a Life that Matters
"We are all here to evolve at some level. We can evolve consciously or unconsciously, but we will evolve. Wouldn't it be better to evolve on purpose?" Jim
"When we enter a period of meaningful change in our lives, it is reassuring to know that there are many others on the same journey—and that there are roadmaps." Jim
"Any authentic search for our purpose and meaning must lead within. While it is normal to begin this search somewhere else, enlightenment is an inside job." Jim
"A search for meaning and significance often begins when we can let go of being measured by what we have, rather than who we are." Jim
"To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you lived—that is to have succeeded." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"When I visit my hometown, where I grew up as a kid, and run into my former neighbors, teachers and coaches; I always use Mr. or Mrs. when speaking to them. Yet, at my age, and while I do respect them; there is no need for me to use these titles, but I do because of this respect. I somehow feel this need because I still want to feel someone is in charge—just like I did when I was young. Did you ever wonder who is in charge of keeping it all in order, ensuring that it would eventually all make sense? I spent many years believing that politicians or religious leaders were supposed to be in charge and would straighten things out when things went astray. But my innocence died a long time ago, and I asked myself 'If they aren't in charge, who is?' Is it possible that no one is in charge? Just me?" Jim
Chapter Two
Purpose
"Choose your thoughts carefully,
They will make your life.
Stay curious and open to learning,
As this is the key to growth.
Have laughter as a part of each day,
It is music from your soul.
Always give others your best,
This is the road to success.
Forgive all who wish you ill,
It is a gift to yourself,
And live with gratitude, humility, compassion and love.
For this is your higher purpose."
Jim
"Our higher purpose in life is to become who we are—our authentic, spiritual self." Jim
"Spiritually evolved people, by virtue of their discipline, mastery and love, are people of extraordinary competence, and in their competence they are called on to serve the world, and in their love they answer the call. They are inevitably, therefore, people of great power, although the world may generally behold them as quite ordinary people, since more often than not they will exercise their power in quiet or even hidden ways." M. Scott Peck, M.D. The Road Less Traveled
"Those who choose to live a higher-purpose life are generally not encouraged by the masses." Jim
"Everybody is dealt a hand in life; most people are afraid to play their hand or get mired in resentments over not receiving better cards. Wouldn't it be better to play it out as best we can, even with insufficient advice and information along the way?" Bennet Wong & Jock McKeen The New Manual for Life
"Our higher purpose is where we have our greatest passion. When we are living a life of higher purpose, we are living a life of passion." Jim
"It seems the more I learn, the more questions arise; and I am learning that's how it's supposed to be. Our purpose in living is to learn what we need to learn and to assist others to do the same. We are all learning and teaching. We are leading and following at the same time, giving and receiving—and the more we give, the more we receive. How we perceive others is generally rooted in how we perceive ourselves." Jim
"Success without happiness is the worst kind of failure." Author Unknown
"When we assume that we are already enlightened, spiritual evolution has stopped." Jim
"To find yourself demands that you have the courage to reject society's definitions of success and create your own." Jim
"If enlightenment can be described as the knowledge of ourselves, we can say that becoming enlightened is a work in progress." Jim
"Life is our classroom, and we are all students and teachers." Jim
"The best way to prepare yourself for life-changing decisions is to make everyday decisions with your higher purpose in mind." Jim
"We all have a mission here on earth—a higher purpose to serve; and if you are still alive, it isn't finished." Jim
"We teach others primarily through how we live our lives. Your life then becomes your greatest imprint on the world." Jim
"When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take the first step into the darkness of the unknown we must believe one of two things will happen—there will be something solid for us to stand on—or we will be taught to fly." Claire Morris Source Unknown
"Even though society ridicules those who follow their inner voice and serve their higher purpose, history often claims them as its legendary heroes." Jim
"The purpose of life is a life of purpose." Robert Byrne
"Evolution is a process of continuous transformation." Bennet Wong & Jock McKeen The New Manual for Life
"There is a spectacle grander than the sky, and it is the interior of the soul." Victor Hugo
"What each of us seeks is the fulfillment of our own potential." David Irvine Simple Living in a Complex World
"Man's search for meaning is a primary force in his life." Victor Frankl
"Spirituality, unlike religion, is an individual experience; and seeking our higher purpose can initially be frightening. But what if the only purpose in life was to be content and happy? Why would we fear this?" Jim
"When you find yourself feeling uncertain, remember that you have a higher purpose. By choosing to go higher, you rise above your doubts and set-backs." Jim
"You either have to take the initiative to go to the places with your life that you want to go to—or it will never happen. Where do you want to go with your life? What is holding you back and what are you waiting for—an invitation?" Jim
Chapter Three
Cultural Influences
"The cultures that we are exposed to, especially early in life, play a significant role in determining our beliefs and significantly influence the results we create in our lives. Each culture has a shared belief system, about the world and ways of dealing with it—how things are and how they should be. It is very powerful to be in a 'family' of people with shared opinions, values, principles and traditions. We eventually learn how shattering it can be when we are excluded from these cultural groups; and if we question them, we are often excluded. Cultures seldom encourage their members to question them, but we must do just this if we are to seriously evolve spiritually. Evaluating our prejudices, opinions, values and beliefs and discarding those that no longer fit our conscious assessment of who we are is a necessity for personal growth. These spiritual 'crossroads' are opportunities for seeking a higher purpose in our lives. Ultimately, it is we alone who must become our own greatest teacher. If not ourselves, who should we choose to write our own story of our future?" Jim
"From your thought springs your reality. From your ideas your future emerges. Thus, your beliefs create your behaviors, and your behaviors create your experience. What you believe, therefore, becomes a most important thing." Neale Donald Walsch Tomorrow's God—our Greatest Spiritual Challenge
"Examine your beliefs—If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that, at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things." Rene Descartes
"Spiritual evolution is a process of constant death and rebirth. Old beliefs die and new ones are born. This is the process of personal transformation, which is a constant fact of life; and the moment we wholeheartedly embrace it, life takes on greater significance. We then can see our higher purpose as an on-going process of self-discovery and renewal." Jim
"Your cultures create your beliefs. Your beliefs create your attitudes. Your attitudes create your judgments. Your judgments create your behavior. Your behavior creates your results." Jim
"The journey to authentic power requires that you become conscious of all that you feel. " Gary Zukav The Seat of the Soul
"The more we study and learn about beliefs from other cultures, the more we understand that our perceptions about life are based upon very narrow and limiting views of the universe." Jim
"There is no value-judgment more important to man—no factor more decisive in his psychological development and motivation—than the estimate he passes on himself." Nathaniel Branden
"When we choose to believe in someone, or something, we give that belief tremendous power in our lives. It pays to be very conscious of to whom, and to what, you give power and authority in your life." Jim
"Your 'truth' about anything is merely your individual perception of truth. If you accept that your truth is the only possible correct one, you limit your understanding and potential to evolve. Being fixed in any belief is a barrier to self-insight." Jim
(Continues...)
Excerpted from A HIGHER PURPOSEby Jim Reger Copyright © 2012 by Jim Reger. Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
