Even though I had my fingerprints translated and my life purpose revealed to me more than five years ago, I’m still constantly exploring what it means to have and to be on purpose.

Every day is an adventure into the process of being me.  Sometimes it’s invigorating and sometimes it’s exhausting.  There are times that I just want to throw my hands in the air and say, “enough is enough!  It’s all complete and total random-ness and nothing I do, say, or believe is going to change a thing in my predestined outcome.”

And then I come back to reality and laugh at the cop-out of that idea.

Because if I really believed that I had no control over my life and the things that happen in it, then I really have a hard time believing in the idea of being alive at all.  I mean, what would be the point?!

If I believed that I was floating in a canoe on the sea of life without any navigational input, then, aside from the “what’s the point?” question, I’d have to relax.  I mean, why bother getting all worked up and stressed out and shoulder-to-the-wheel, if I’m not going to change a thing?

Knowing my purpose at first put me back into my head.  I needed to go there.  I needed to spend sometime inside and wriggling around with my beliefs — about humanity, about myself, about my destiny and about the why behind actions I did just “because.” I’ve used this intellectuality as a means of hiding out though.  I can use my big problem-solving brain to create all kinds of outcomes and scenarios – -in my mind.  And never actually come out and take a chance of putting the pedal to the metal and applying myself.

For about two years after my hand reading, I spent a LOT Of time in my head.

I went deeper than I ever had (at least since my teenage heartaches and angst) into my own head and started journaling, meditating and spending long hours alone with nothing but my thoughts.  I read constantly, visited healers, worked with mentors and coaches and psychics and felt like a sponge that was soggy with so much knowing.  I forgot how to squeeze out the knowledge into the light of day so it made sense.

I believed what everyone said about me.  One day I was on top of the world because an editor praised my article, the next day I was dragging my feet and carrying my head low (my proverbial tail between my legs) because someone told me that I’d failed as a business person and why don’t I just get a ‘real job.’

I fought with god about why I wasn’t good enough to just manifest the law of attraction the way “everyone” else seemed to be.  I beat myself up for being wrong or weird or different or too much of something and not enough of another.

All along  I wasn’t TAKING Action.

I was writing long lists about what I wanted and spending ridiculous amounts of time VISIONING my life as having things that I wanted.  And I was spending equal amounts of energy practicing positive language and all that.  Oh, and I was believing I was following signs too.  But only the ones that seemed to say what I wanted to hear — not those that said I’d have to work my behind off to move forward.

All part of the journey I suspect.

Something amazing has happened.

I went back to my thumbs.

Thumbs are miracles and I’m so constantly amazed at the value they add on a purely basic level.  Because of my thumbs I can tie shoes, wash my face, eat my meals, take my loved one’s hand in my own.  I can communicate with letters and gestures and I can hold myself up in a downward dog and an upward facing dog.  My thumbs balance my posture on the yoga mat and as a means to my success – they focus me on my will.

Thumbs are the key to logic and will and they show me, precisely, how important it is to not only wish, but to set goals and take specific action.  For me, the thumbs which hold part of my life purpose, are the key to every other aspect of purpose in my life.  If I’m not taking action, big, massive action (and that massive action can be simply showing up in ordinary ways to ask, to answer, to write to speak and to listen) in pursuit of my goals, I’m actually dying a little bit.

Sure, everything you’ve heard about Law of Attraction does have some bit about taking action — but while you get specific instructions on writing your wishes and envisioning your perfect life, there isn’t a lot of step-by-step instruction on how to take action.

Maybe that’s because it’s different for each of us?

For me, what works is creating an action plan.  And recognizing that there are specific, material outcomes I expect as a result of taking action.  I don’t always get everything I wanted, but I get a whole lot closer when I’m working a plan.  The added bonus is that I have the benefit of always knowing I did whatever it took to move forward.  And moving is the whole point.

What about you?  What actions do you take (either consciously or not) to move forward?

And if you want to know how your action plans may be improved with the benefit of your purpose — don’t hesitate to let me know.  I’d be honored to help.