say you're built for purpose - how do you find out what that purpose is?

We’ve been covering Hineahuone’s pūrākau and creation story over the last few weeks from all the different angles, and last week we emphasised how imperative the breath is for optimal wellness, to harness our inherent, limitless potential within, and our capacity to fashion new life in any which form we choose.

The breath brought Hineahuone to life, so what could that same breath and intentionality do for us in our lives? How did you go with that one? Did you get to know where it’s focused, where your energy is being allocated, what affects or impedes it? If this blog post was built for any purpose today — reaffirming awareness of the breath is definitely in the top two.

Then there’s how Hineahuone was fashioned/created, with each of the atua (gods, elemental forces) giving expressions of themselves to her — further reaffirming that she had everything she needed, nothing she didn’t,

our main lady was built. for. purpose.

There are other wondrous stories of tupuna (ancestors) who were born to avenge their people, to serve out particular tasks, to lead their tribes and so on. And during their lifetime, they were prepared to serve out said purpose…

So when you think of what makes you, you.. what do you think your purpose might be? When I reflect and internalise, I consider the way I think, my temperament, how I process information and react or respond, my natural state, the opportunities I’ve been afforded, what I’m drawn to or repelled from and a few other things… in particular,

which phase of my purpose am I in now?

Am I in research and development ? Where what I learn now and add to my kete (basket) will help me fulfil the bigger, more impactful thing? Maybe it’s cyclical and my main purpose is made up of small moments that’ve accumulated over the years. like my pāps Aristotle would say, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

And when you think about it…. the little, small acts are big in their own way. Whether it’s the branch that allows fruit, berries and flowers to grow on its ends to feed forest creatures and attract birds and bees for pollination. The branch comes before the fruit, so although not as beautiful or ‘big’ — without it, the whakapapa (genealogical) link breaks and there’s no fruit for anyone.

My purpose could be to write in such a way someone thinks, ‘hey I could do better!’ and sparks them to action to publish their own work.. perhaps it’s to support others do something spectacular, maybe it’s to raise a tribe, maybe it’s to be the best embodiment of hana I can be… like previous blog posts, a lot of maybes in this one haha appropriate with this kind of wānanga (internalisation) I reckon…

Lately, I’ll ask myself — what purpose do I serve right now?

In this moment, today, how do all these tāonga (gifts) I have come together? How can I breathe life into who, where and what I am right now? With an occasional step back to assess how all the small acts weave together to create the ‘bigger’ pattern.

So I ask you a more specific question, say you're built for purpose (whakapapa in action and all), what purpose could that serve right now? Or what in the future, and what can you do now to prepare?

Tēnā tātou,

Hana.