The Purpose of Life

Today, for the second time in a month, I received the same saying on the tea bag when I had my morning cup of Yogi Detox Tea. The saying was, "The purpose of life is to enjoy every moment." Just think, all one needs to do is drink tea, and the mysteries of life are revealed.

The first time I got this fortune, I taped it to my computer. Now, every time I sit down to check my e-mail or check the weather, I am reminded of the purpose of life, to enjoy every moment. What a wonderful idea!

I guess it has never been entirely clear to me what the purpose of life is. In my adult life and spiritual exploration, I have come across a number of books that touch on the purpose of life and present ideas which resonate with my own knowing. In Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations with God, the idea is expressed that we are here to be Who We Are, and that in fact we were created in order that God could turn concept into experience. God knew of God's magnificence intellectually, but only through experience could God know God's self experientially. Thus, our very purpose for being is to turn God's concept of magnificence into experience.

In a more recent book by Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth, the idea is expressed that there are 3 modes of what he calls 'enlightened doing'. These modes are acceptance, enjoyment, and enthusiasm. Just imagine -- if everything that everyone did involved either ecceptance, enjoyment, or enthusiasm, what a different place the world would be.

So the fortune on my tea bag today relates to one of these 3 modes of enlightened doing -- enjoyment. Enjoyment brings with it a beautiful energy, an energy that goes beyond acceptance. The energy of enjoyment also goes beyond happiness -- it sends joy out into the world. And joy expressed is inspiring.

Imagine enjoying every moment of life! Every day. Every situation. Every thought. Every encounter. It would transform the world to have just one person who enjoyed every moment. Because the energy of joy is uplifting -- it is impossible to have an encounter with joy and not be changed.

So, if the purpose of life is to enjoy every moment, that sounds a lot like living joyfully with what is. Of course, enjoying every moment sounds like a tall order, so I think I'll just start with this one.