By Kathy Sanchez

Our society would like us to believe that it’s to succeed in our careers, make lots of money and accumulate worldly goods. But deep down, we know that’s not true. There are too many lonely, unhappy rich people in the world for us to fall for that myth.

So if chasing after accomplishments and loading up on stuff isn’t the answer, we’re back to square one. What is the purpose of my life?  And why is it so hard for even the smartest among us to come up with a satisfactory answer to that question?

Many find the question so huge and impossible that they just give up and put it on the back burner for most—if not all—of their lives. Instead, they focus on the day-to-day challenges of life and ignore the big questions, thinking that they’ll never really know the answers, so why even try.

But after a while, they find that they can’t ignore the feeling that something’s missing in their lives, though they can’t put a finger on exactly what it is that’s missing. Often, rather than figuring out exactly what it is that’s missing, they’ll start experimenting with different activities to fill in that gap: maybe trying out new hobbies, joining a church, or changing jobs, or even spouses!

These changes may seem to fill in the emptiness for a while, but before long, it comes back to haunt them yet again. Why? Because they still haven’t answered that haunting question: What is the purpose of my life?  

The reason it’s such a hard question is that we can’t use our handiest tool—our brain or our mind—to answer it. Logic and reason just doesn’t cut it with this question. To get a truly satisfactory answer, we need to go beyond thought and the mind. In other words, we need to access our deepest, inner self—our true source of wisdom.

The Inkas were masters at staying connected to that deepest source of inner wisdom. They didn’t have to wonder about the purpose of their lives; they figured that one out long ago.  

Their “secret” was to live in balance by fully acknowledging, using and above all appreciating, the three main aspects of life—the physical world, thought and emotions, and the soul or spirit—in everything they did. They didn’t work for five days to pay the bills and then go to church on Sundays. They celebrated all three aspects of life in their daily work and chores, expressing gratitude for the goods that resulted, the opportunity to use their mental capacities and the manifestation of the Divine on earth (spirit). Living this way is what helped them to ascend spiritually and to help others around them to do the same.

Can we learn to live today like the Inkas did back in their time? Most definitely. Inka descendents in Peru and the Andean nations have carefully preserved the way of life of their ancestors for centuries. In just the past 10-20 years, they have begun to share this wisdom with people like you and I, people who seek more purpose in their own lives.

We invite you to join us at the following events or excursions, any of which will help you answer your deepest questions and expand your vision of your life and its purpose.