Mind & Body
Heart's Restless Yearnings:
A Call to Fuller Life
© Teresa Cheong, Lifebridges Communications
I thought my friend had the perfect retirement plan. In another five years, she would be retiring and laying claims to a generous pension, a lifetime of subsidised medical care, and a comfortable life of a rich retiree.
But the unexpected happened. She quit.
By leaving her teaching job prematurely, she forfeited her right to pension and put her retirement plans permanently on hold. On the last day at the school where she had taught for nearly thirty years, she said, "I felt free. My heart is at peace." Her reason? "For a simpler life in the service of others," she said, her eyes sparkling with religious fervour.
What a price to pay for a simple life and freedom.
Yet, she is not alone in such foolhardiness. l know of a lawyer who gave up law to become a Catholic priest, a pilot who forfeited an enviable pension to be a missionary, and a general manager who left at the peak of her career to sell children's books. They chose to scale down when the rest of the world was scaling up.
What could have motivated such radical responses?
I think at some point in our lives, usually after having spent considerable time wandering through the angst of youth and drive of young adulthood, we will be confronted with one of life's burning questions: What is the purpose of my life? What is truly my life's passion? Where am I going? How will I get there?
Called to Uniqueness
Underlying this line of questioning is the belief that each of us has a unique reason for being in this world. Once we discover
our unique life purpose or vocation, we would have also found the source for our greatest fulfillment and satisfaction.
However, it only happens if we have the courage to let go of our inordinate attachments to pursue it. We could be attached to the financial security of an unhappy job. We could be languishing in routine work that does not stretch our potential. Life Purpose cannot be found in an unhappy fit.
The idea of finding our life purpose is based on a belief that each person is called to a particular way that is uniquely his or hers. Unfortunately, the reality is most of us would rather make the best of whatever career or life path we or our parents have
chosen. For my teacher-friend, she made the decision to abandon what she achieved in the past to follow her heart.
The Curse of Restlessness
Restless yearning is the fuel that drives people to look for changes in their lives. Those who choose to ignore the inner disquiet and restless yearnings in their hearts may find temporary reprieve. But our heart's inner restlessness - like a persistent suitor - will return at some point in our lives again.
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