Stop trying to find your purpose.

Your purpose is not something you need to find.

Instead, move from stages 3-4 (in the four stages of consciousness) and “purpose” ends up finding you.

The Four Stages of Consciousness

1) Victim Consciousness

In victim consciousness, one is living aimlessly.

Here, we let life happen to us. Forever remaining a victim to outside circumstances, we believe we are at the mercy of life’s external forces.

Those stuck at this level of thinking are what people online refer to as NPC’s (Non-Player Characters). I personally think this is a derogatory term, I hate it and I won’t ever use it again, because these people need support.

My hope is that those impacted by this level of consciousness can be convinced of their ability to escape. With the right tools one can climb the ladder.

2) Ego Consciousness

In ego consciousness, people are guided by self involved values.

I don’t mean ego in the sense that “this person has a big ego.” I use the term in the psychological sense, meaning our ego as our identity and differentiation from the world.

At this stage people no longer “let life happen to them.” They have enough inner empowerment to make their mark on the world and “happen to life.” This is a good thing, but it can also be a trap.

Our ego is necessary to survive, but it can also get in our own way. It does not always manifests in destructive ways, but it always manifests in ways that are self-seeking.

Understand ego consciousness as a constant pursuit to gratify one's own self and ego. People in this stage of consciousness use everything outside of themselves as a means to an end. It is inherently solipsistic.

3) Initiation Consciousness

Most people are in initiation consciousness.

They are moderately self-aware, happy, self-directed, and want to do good in the world. They see the futility in constantly making efforts to gratify their own ego and seek to be of service to their community and the world at large.

These people are “trying to find” their purpose, but the problem is that the stress of trying to find it (or wondering if they’ve found it) brings them back down to lower levels of thinking.

Example: “Why can’t I find my purpose?” (Victim Consciousness)

As a therapist, I hear my clients stressing about this constantly. The cultural narrative around the importance of purpose ends up being a burden that leads people into resentment, bitterness, cynicism, and frustration.

Stage 3 is a critical juncture, lets explore why.

The Bottleneck

The idea of purpose as something you need to find is beyond silly.

Inherent in the idea of “looking for something” lies the reality that you currently lack it; baked into the premise is a paradigm of scarcity.

This is why so many people are self-aware, yet still stuck. They are trapped in a self-defeating loop of perfectionism and indecision, feeling victim to the world because they don’t know and can’t decide what to do with their lives.

In my experience working with clients, it is here that I see people bounce back down to the lower levels of consciousness or develop the resources to blast off into stage 4.

Here’s how you move past it:

1) No longer identify purpose as an output

2) No longer suppress the longing in your heart and soul

3) Learn the tools to experience deep emotional release and increase intimacy with yourself

What actually moves the needle from stage 3 and into stage 4 is healing.

As you heal you become more of a whole individual.

Paradoxically, as you become more of an individual, you become a greater part of the collective. Once you do, Universal Love finds you, and so does your sense of mission (purpose).

4) Mission Consciousness

Mission consciousness is guided by Universal Love.

I’m not here to tell you that I know what the “mission” is. I’m not a goddamn cult leader (even though my friends jokingly tell me I could be), but if you look at the history of civilization, you’ll see that everything builds on top of itself.

Study art, science, technology, music, philosophy, psychology, etc. and you see that all of these fields build off those that came before them. Consciousness (thought) works the same way. It has an evolution to it.

Consciousness evolves as we evolve. It has become more global, more tolerant, more accepting, and generally more progressive. This begs the question: “What is the mechanism responsible for this evolution?”

The same mechanism that is responsible for your evolution.

Universal Love

This energy wants to work with you and through you, but it can’t until you clear your heart.

You must excavate the old emotions that are standing in its way. It’s not about becoming more self-aware (that is an exercise of the mind).

Instead, it is about increasing intimacy yourself, which leads to:

• joy

• energy

• curiosity

• creativity

• desire to serve

• desire to connect

This is “purpose.”

It’s not a vocational field, it’s a sustained feeling of which everyone is ultimately seeking…

You’re not seeking the perfect job or the perfect partner. You’re not seeking the perfect means to actualize your skillset or the perfect way to be of service.

What you are seeking is a feeling and when you heal, you begin to embody it.

Embody it, and Universal Love begins to work through you (in ways big and small).

You don’t need to know what it is that you’re doing with the rest of your life.

You don’t need to know what your “purpose” is.

What you do need is to heal, open your heart, and embody greater wholeness.

It’s a scary task and at times a brutal journey, but it’s worth it. Trust me.

I’m right here with you, Universal Love knows no hierarchy.

Let’s do it together.

Best,

Brian Maierhofer

P.S.

I’m running a few MindBody Somatic Workshops during this month of June. They’re cheap ($49).

My goal is to share my favorite way to experience deep emotional release, clear the heart, and increase greater intimacy with self.

I also have a few spots open this month for 1v1 work. Book a call here to see if we’re a good fit.