Are you open to finding your ultimate quest? Your quest is a search for meaning & purpose. Now is the very best time to start! Are you committed to changing yourself?
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Welcome back to the UltimateQuest.org podcast. This is episode #4 where we continue the ‘Finding your passion’ series. The title of this episode is: “Hints for finding your Ultimate Quest”.
In this episode we continue to discuss one of the BIG questions in life. It’s one of the most profound questions we can ask ourself. The question is “What is my Ultimate Quest?”. Give this challenge a try! We will help you with some more clues & hints.
ARE YOU OPEN TO FINDING YOUR ULTIMATE QUEST?
To work out your Ultimate Quest, you must be engaged in the process. You must really want to know! Or at least you must be open & curious. Plus you must look deeply within. Otherwise you’ll just get an intellectual answer! That’s too limiting!
YOUR QUEST IS A SEARCH FOR MEANING & PURPOSE.
Ask yourself again: “What is my Ultimate Quest?”. This question is quite profound! That’s because it involves discovering what gives us meaning in life. This question explores what gives our life real purpose. Finding meaning and purpose is a key part of our quest in life. But there is even more to it as well!
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NOW IS THE VERY BEST TIME TO START!
Do you know what YOUR Ultimate Quest might be? Do you have any ideas on how to live this reality? Keep reading if you want to know more… Some people get distressed because they don’t yet know their ideal life path. But don’t get too worried, because you still have time to work this out! However, if you do start now, you’ll have more productive time and energy to fully enjoy the benefits!
GIVE THIS CONTEMPLATION A TRY:
Ask yourself again: “What is my Ultimate Quest?”. Discovering this can be a fun & exciting journey in itself. Try gently placing this question right at the back of your mind, away from your Ego. Quietly contemplate your Ultimate Quest while you continue. That distracts your Ego and keeps it away from your contemplation.
TRY THIS EVEN SIMPLER VERSION:
If that question still seems too grand or complicated, try this even simpler version:
“What is my PURPOSE in life?”. Ponder what you are really meant to accomplish in your life. What gives you a sense of meaning or purpose? As you contemplate this, patiently listen for your inner voice. Tune-in for a heart-felt knowing. Your true answer will slowly reveal itself through an insight or inspiration.
The answer will gently surface and unfold into your conscious awareness. But this can take some time! Quietly contemplate all this... But don’t force it or try too hard. That's counter-productive! Instead, be very patient. Approach the process LOVINGLY.
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ARE YOU COMMITTED TO CHANGING YOURSELF?
Keep contemplating your Ultimate Quest or your passion in life... Place this enquiry right at the back of your mind, well away from your Ego. It also helps to keep your Ego busy. So let’s distract your Ego with another question. This will also keep your intellectual mind occupied, so you don’t overthink this big question. The next question is: “Will you just keep living life in the same way?”.
ARE YOU LIVING LIFE ON AUTO-PILOT?
Do you want to keep working in the same occupation? Which relationships should you change? What habits need to stop? Ponder this at the back of your mind... It’s SO important to work out what you really want from life, before it’s too late! If you automatically or blindly go through life, you could really be missing out. Some people don’t even know they are living on auto-pilot. What a waste of a life!
YOUR EGO WILL RESIST YOU TAKING CHARGE.
When contemplating your Ultimate Quest or your passion, your Ego might reply “Why bother changing?”. Your Ego is really saying “I don’t want to face all that!”. Your Ego is simply not designed to help YOU navigate your life direction.
Your Ego doesn’t want YOU to take charge of your own life either. That is too confronting for the Ego! Your Ego doesn’t want to admit it is lacking or wrong. This is because it fears it will then lose its control over your life. The Ego doesn’t want to become irrelevant or redundant. No wonder it doesn't want to face this change!
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AVOID CRITICAL & CYNICAL THINKING.
So, it’s best to place big life questions right at the BACK of your mind. Keep these grand questions well away from your Ego and your intellect. This helps avoid the fearful, critical & cynical components of your mind. Instead, allow your intuitive mind to ponder this instead! Tapping into your inner knowing gives you the best chance of working it all out! Inviting your intuition & insight to guide you is the big secret!
YOUR EGO WILL KEEP TRYING TO BLOCK YOU!
So, let’s go back to the first question: “What is your Ultimate Quest?”. Your Ego might tell you: “You don’t have the time, talent or energy for that quest! How would you ever find the space in your life for anything so grand? You are already doing so much! Are you really worthy of that anyway?” ...This is what the Ego might say to you.
GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF SPECIAL TIME OUT.
Do you want another secret to immunise yourself from this negative self-talk? The secret is to give yourself the gift of special TIME OUT, just for yourself. Use this time each day to invite in a new realm of possibilities & insights. We do this initially through relaxation & quiet contemplation.
CLEAR OUT ACTIVITIES & HABITS THAT DON’T SERVE.
So much of what we currently do in our life has unknowingly become a habit. It is no longer the best use of our precious time. We can slowly clear all this out, to make room for our new special time. We can usually find 15 minutes a day for time out.
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MAKE SPACE FOR YOUR PERSONAL TIME OUT.
Just stop doing what’s no longer in your very best interest! Instead, schedule personal quiet time every day, just for yourself. Use part of your daily retreat for quiet inner contemplation. That’s how you can uncover deep insights into what’s best for you. You can even discover what you are really meant to do in life!
Finding this special time for yourself is the challenge we are going to leave you with, at the end of this episode. Will you make space for some regular quiet time each day, just for yourself? Will you try some quiet inner contemplation?
SIMPLE REALISATIONS CAN BE LIFE CHANGING.
In the meantime, here are some more tips to help you on your Ultimate Quest. Ask yourself: “What could I be doing in life to make it all worthwhile?”. Your best answer will be quite simple but also profound. It will potentially be life changing! But remember, the answer will be different for every individual!
YOUR LIFE QUEST WILL ALIGN WITH YOUR PASSIONS.
Your life quest is usually related to your passion for something in life. It’s often something that you already do. But it is usually not something you do for payment. Your quest is usually associated with something you would love to do more often. It brings you joy even thinking about it. When you pursue this passion, it enlivens & empowers you. You love it, even though it involves some difficulty & challenge. You would follow your passion even without acknowledgement or money!
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YOUR LIFE QUEST FILLS THE EMPTY FEELING WITHIN.
Your Ultimate Quest adds meaning to your life. It gives your life a purpose. You’ll feel more content & fulfilled. It fills that empty feeling deep within and allows an inner peace! When living your Ultimate Quest, you feel complete and whole.
DON’T LET YOUR EGO TALK YOU OUT OF IT!
But this passion or role in life is often something you have second thoughts about. It’s something your Ego often discourages you from doing! It can be something that’s not necessarily practical or acceptable to your friends & associates. It may be something you continually put off. Or you might not feel worthy or capable of it.
YOUR NIGHT & DAY DREAMS MIGHT INSPIRE YOU.
Are you still having difficulty finding an answer to what your life quest might be? Remember, there’s no immediate hurry to discover your quest. You have a whole lifetime to get it just right! But it does help to start early! Do you want some more pointers and clues? Your unique quest in life may come to you at night in a dream. Or it might relate to your day dreams.
WHAT WERE YOUR DREAMS AS A CHILD?
Sometimes we must go back to our childhood dreams to find clues to our true passion or ideal role in life. Our education & social conditioning may have overruled this childhood passion. We may have forgotten or even repressed these childhood dreams. So take the time to reflect on what was previously important to you.
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BYPASSING EGO RELEASES OUR PASSIONS.
What is the most powerful way to uncover our true hidden needs and passions? The secret is to bypass our Ego & logical mind. Avoiding Ego allows any suppressed needs to finally surface to our conscious awareness. But how do we actually do this?
We bypass Ego through the regular practice of quiet inner contemplation. Or if you prefer, you can use silent prayer, mindfulness or formal meditation. But you need to make the space in your life to actually do this. That’s why it’s important to find 15 minutes of personal quiet time each day, purely for yourself.
RELAX YOUR BODY & SLOW YOUR MIND.
The first stage is to relax your body. Then to slow your mind. Then quietly sit with yourself, without activating your thinking process. Allow any thoughts that arise to naturally fade. Let them pass across your mind. Don’t attach to them or activate them. Just briefly notice them and let them go on their way.
WELCOME YOUR INSIGHTS & INNER KNOWING.
Invite your suppressed needs & passions to rise to the surface. These will come as a heartfelt inner knowing. We don't want any logical, thought-based answers! Instead, welcome any deep insight or inspiration. This may take quite a few sessions of contemplation to fully master.
Quiet contemplation or meditation is a formal way of accessing our inner knowing. But these insights can also surface spontaneously without any formal process. This can occur when we are relaxed and deeply absorbed in beauty, or some creative pursuit. That’s when our Ego is most distracted.
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NATURE & CREATIVITY CAN TRIGGER AN INSIGHT.
Often spontaneous insights occur while we are enjoying nature. We might be absorbed by the intrinsic beauty of a sunset or a flower. Or while watching sunlight dance on the water. Or observing beams of light streaming into a room.
CREATIVITY & JOY CAN TRIGGER AN INSIGHT.
Inspiration can also be released by creative or artistic activities. It might be triggered by music, rhythm or dance. An insight can even come to us while relaxing in the bath or shower! It can arise unexpectedly when watching a child joyfully at play. Any experience that increases mindfulness or distracts our Ego will help.
SUMMARY OF EPISODE #4:
Let’s briefly summarize what we learnt in episode #4 which was titled “Hints for finding your Ultimate Quest”. The first hint was to be open, curious and engaged in the process. You must be willing to look deeply within yourself. Another clue is to explore your current passions in life. Think about what activity you love and would want to do… possibly forever!
But, be warned that your Ego will try to discourage you from discovering your quest. So avoid your Ego and instead listen to your inner guidance. Try to find 15 minutes a day to relax & quietly contemplate. Be curious, but don’t activate your thinking processes. Bypass your Ego. Instead, tune-in to your intuitive knowing.
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SUMMARY OF EPISODE #4 (CONTINUED)
Explore your day dreams & night dreams. And reflect on your past dreams as a child. These might provide valuable hints on what your quest could really be.
If you are struggling with formal contemplation or meditation, there is an easier way you can try. Absorb yourself in the beauty of nature. Or engage in creative, relaxing or joyful activities to spontaneously trigger new insights. These techniques make it easier to discover your passion and purpose in life. From this strong foundation, you will be more successful on your Ultimate Quest.
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR CHALLENGE!
All this is a big challenge. So good luck on getting your intuitive insights and inspirations! Remember you don’t have to work all of this out immediately. Just start slowly. The answer can develop and unfold over time.
DON’T PUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON YOURSELF.
Don't put any pressure on yourself to find an answer immediately. In fact, if you take your time, the insights will surface more easily. Plus don’t judge what comes up for you! All that just inhibits the process!
But remember, the sooner you start the better! Try daily inner contemplation. Or perhaps try some time out in nature or some creative expression. It can take up to 6 weeks of daily practice to get good results. So be patient and kind to yourself. Don’t have any fixed expectations. Just enjoy the process!
Congratulations! You have completed episode #4 from the 'Finding your passion' series by UltimateQuest.org