Navigation by Stardust | reflections on a purposeful life

This time of year means different things to everyone. It’s lauded as a holiday season yet, for many, it causes more work and stress than a supposed holiday ought to. For some it is a spiritual season, one of hope and new beginnings, and a time for giving to our loved ones or those who lack basic resources. If you don’t hold a religious belief then perhaps you may reflect on what Christmas means for you beyond its glitzy commercialism.

A few days ago, I published a blog where I mentioned Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi’s book Flow. In it he writes “In the lives of many people it is possible to find a unifying purpose that justifies the things they do day in, day out – a goal that like a magnetic field attracts their psychic energy, a goal upon which all lesser goals depend. This goal will define the challenges that a person needs to face in order to transform his or her life into a flow activity. Without such a purpose, even the best-ordered consciousness lacks meaning.”

If one views Christmas as a time to honour the birth of Christ, then this time of year immediately holds a deeper meaning, a foundation upon which a person can build the rest of their life. However, if your personal journey isn’t a spiritual one, for now I’d recommend reflecting on Csikszentmihalyi’s words and seeking a unifying purpose for your life. Be it a passion, a cause, or a theme you feel strongly about, find it and live it wholeheartedly with integrity.

Just as sailors once used the stars to navigate, the star atop a tree is symbolic of the one which guided three wise men to the birthplace of Christ. Perhaps it can be symbolic of one’s internal compass as “we are stardust” (according to the great Joni Mitchell).

I wish you and your loved ones a meaningful and heartfelt Christmas season. Thank you for reading my meditations, for supporting my music (and creative tangents). I look forward to creating more for you in the new year.