Soul

Tonight I watched the new Pixar movie “Soul.” The entire movie focuses on the concept of what is your spark in life, what is your purpose. It is a concept I have often struggled with. For some reason it has always equated in my head that if you don’t have a purpose, then you have wasted your time on earth.

And I…I can’t accept that. So I have struggled with finding my purpose. And wondering if I have made a difference. And wondering if I have wasted my time on earth. And wondering if I matter….and you get the idea.

The movie then turns the concept of purpose on it’s head. It doesn’t negate people who have always known what they wanted to do. Rather it says that maybe life is about something much more bigger than just what is your purpose. Maybe it is just about living.

Think about how freeing a thought that is. Instead of spending time worrying that you aren’t doing the one special thing you are supposed to do with life, you can spend time just living it. Being present. Appreciating the little things like how a whirlygig (I’m pretty sure that is the scientific name for them) spins down from a tree. Or how the sunlight at dusk hits each leaf just perfectly so all of them can shine in their own way. Or how a sunrise always brings a new promise to a day even if we don’t want to get out of bed. Or how you can’t help but dance to “I Want to Dance With Somebody.” Try it, it is physiologically impossible not to dance to it when it comes on the radio.

Being able to just live frees you up to be good to one another. To volunteer and…