Reclaiming Our Purpose

[00:00:00] Jessica: I want to give a quick shout out to Tony and Rachel and say, thank you so much for joining the Patreon. Not only do they get early access to all the podcast episodes, but they also get videos, transcripts, and monthly pick a card readings, plus multiple spiritual musings a week on Wednesday and Thursdays.

[00:00:22] Jessica: So thank you so much for joining the Patreon. And I can't wait to connect with both of you in the community. Sometimes everyone's coming from a different space. And then sometimes everyone is kind of sharing a similar struggle. And it just makes us realize, Ooh, it's not just us. It's it's this planet got it.

[00:00:42] Jessica: And I think everyone sort of relaxes into it then knowing, Oh, it's not just me. Other people are. Are struggling with this and, and all of that,

[00:00:53] Jessica: your journey to the divine is an intimate exploration of self where you are both the seeker and the source of enlightenment. I Jessica Paschke invite you to break free from the ordinary to reforge your spiritual path with courage, curiosity, and audacity. Unleash the power of your spiritual connection, stepping into a purpose driven life, free of have tos and shoulds.

[00:01:17] Jessica: Join me on this profound exploration of rediscovery, where you'll not only redefine your own spiritual practice, but also inspire a collective awakening. Welcome to Reclaiming Our Spirit. Hello,

[00:01:33] Jessica: hello, hello! Thanks again for joining another episode of Reclaiming Our Spirit. Today, we've got something lovely planned. We're going to be diving into a really big topic, uh, purpose. So we're gonna wade into purpose. You might hear it described as life purpose, discovering your purpose, all of those purpose y things that are out there, but first let's tap in to the spark of joy.

[00:01:58] Jessica: I did something really big this year. I joined a mastermind. It's not my first mastermind experience, but this one resonates so much. It is full of amazing people who just really get me and really understand where I'm coming from. And they're all such great listeners. I mean, it's amazing when you're in a group of people who, who know how to listen.

[00:02:20] Jessica: It's fantastic. And Des Debreva is running it and I so love and enjoy working with her because she just goes above and beyond in everything that she does. And you're actually going to get to meet her on this season of Reclaiming Our Spirit. She's got a fantastic story. I can't wait for you to tune into that one.

[00:02:38] Jessica: Anyway, back to my spark of joy. So. We have this great conversation thread going for the mastermind, um, with everyone in it, and yesterday morning I opened the thread up to discover that there was an audio from one of the other members, Kate, and I love Kate. She's really unique and she's funny and she's quirky and she's brilliant at what she does.

[00:03:00] Jessica: She just sees the world in a completely different way and I love that. And she just took a moment to drop in. And send love and cheer us all on and remind us how wonderful each one of us was. Like how fantastic is that? You wake up and like the first human being you hear Is someone telling you you're amazing and you can do this right away in the morning?

[00:03:24] Jessica: Let me tell you what it sets the tone for the day. And it made me laugh too, because she's got a wicked sense of humor, warmed my heart. So just a 20 second audio really set the tone for the day. And it got me thinking how powerful it is to connect and to be in a group of people that really understand you.

[00:03:44] Jessica: Where you feel like you belong and you're heard and you're seen and you're witnessed a place where you can find that support and give that support and cheer each other on and laugh and cry together and a place where you can see yourself. Reflected back at you. We need other people in order to see ourselves more fully and more clearly, we need other people.

[00:04:08] Jessica: And I am so lucky because I have two of these amazing spaces in my life, the mastermind, and then the spiritual evolution collective, both amazing groups of people. Just showing up fully in their beautiful human selves and all their glory, connecting to each other and making this earth journey a little bit easier.

[00:04:29] Jessica: And yes, one space I had to create. Sometimes you got to create the space you want in the world and the other space showed up. So thank you to both of those groups and to Kate. for being those sparks of joy, uh, in my life this week. You might want to grab a cup of tea, cup of coffee, because we're going to chat about purpose.

[00:04:50] Jessica: And it can be kind of a loaded word. It doesn't have to be, but it can be kind of a loaded word. I recently did a whole event on purpose this past January, uh, spiritual compass. And it's always really interesting. And I, and I really love it when I can gather with people who are curious. And who really want to figure out who they are and how they want to move through the world.

[00:05:12] Jessica: Because it gives me a really interesting perspective on, on how they're interpreting things too. In, in anything that you do, if you teach or you share or anything, you always have to make space to learn from other people. Even if you're in charge of the group. Because, or in charge of the space. Because their perspective matters.

[00:05:35] Jessica: What they're thinking and the wisdom that they've gleaned from their life. It just makes everything more full when you can have conversations about that. And I think it's really eyeopening for everyone because sometimes everyone's coming from a different space and then sometimes everyone is kind of sharing a similar struggle and it just makes us realize, Ooh, it's not just us.

[00:05:56] Jessica: It's, it's this planet. Got it. And I think everyone sort of relaxes into it then knowing, Oh, it's not just me. Other people are, are struggling with this and, and all of that. And so we did spiritual compass in, in January. And while I knew that there were a lot of different takes on purpose, I know this. I'm I'm out there.

[00:06:15] Jessica: This isn't my first roundabout town. I did not realize how confusing it was for people having all of those different viewpoints, and I'm going to see this. My version of purpose is just one way. It's just how I have made sense of it. It is not the only version of purpose or how it works. And you have to remember the lens through which I'm viewing it.

[00:06:37] Jessica: So for me, what's important in order to find value in things, they have to work in real life and they need to be accessible for everyone. I cannot emphasize that enough. So those two things have to be present for me in order for it to resonate. And like, for real, if you can't make a concept work in real life, what is the point?

[00:06:58] Jessica: Then it's just words on paper. So this is just another perspective on purpose. It doesn't mean it's the end all be all. So the Spiritual Compass event really helped me to see all the different ways that people were interpreting purpose. And there were quite a few questions surrounding some of the more common things that Everyone's hearing out there in social media spirit land.

[00:07:19] Jessica: So we're just going to start at the beginning. We're not going to be able to cover everything in this conversation because purpose is such an expansive topic. So we're just going to touch on the beginning and have a conversation about what it is. So for me, purpose is the thing that drives me. It's the thing that helps me find meaning.

[00:07:36] Jessica: It's what gets me up in the morning. Purpose helps me navigate challenges. And it gives me that direction and that clarity I crave. So I have more courage to step into the unknown, to go there. I think it's the thing that anchors me when that extra outside noise really starts going. It allows me to see what's happening out there, but I'm not taking it on.

[00:07:59] Jessica: I'm not allowing myself to be swept away with it. And I think a really important thing that a lot of people either don't realize or forget is that purpose isn't necessarily. The job or the work that you do. I mean, it can infuse that area, right? Of your life. Purpose goes beyond that. It goes into all areas of life.

[00:08:24] Jessica: And I think this rhetoric that, Oh, discover your purpose and make it your job, I think it can be a little bit dangerous because they aren't the same thing, and then it leaves us sort of like wondering, are we doing the right thing? Am I living my purpose? Y'all, you have a purpose, and you have a job, and your purpose can help you find meaning in whatever work you do.

[00:08:46] Jessica: But they're not the same. Purpose is more than that. It's more multifaceted than that, than that simplified version leads us to believe. And it's not something that's static. Purpose is something that evolves and it will change and grow as we change and grow, which means that there is no singular fixed purpose that you have to find or discover in order to make your life work.

[00:09:15] Jessica: Purpose is not something you find. It is something that you reclaim. You cannot lose your purpose. It's not like a set of car keys. It's inside of you. Thank God it's not like a set of car keys. I lose mine all the time. Purpose is inside of you. And it's part of who you are. And sometimes life can become a lot.

[00:09:34] Jessica: And we might lose sight of that. And we might feel like it's lost. It totally might feel like that. But it has always been there. We just have to figure out how to tap in to get that back to the surface, to see it again. And sometimes that is, you know, self exploration, healing, awareness, reflection. There's so many different ways that you can do it.

[00:09:54] Jessica: But it's something that you do over and over again because the noise is never going to settle down. So purpose isn't a destination. You don't discover your purpose, the work is done, you're good. Purpose is a journey. Even when you're reclaiming it, it's this continuous thing that you tap into that you're going to redefine, that you're going to rework, that's going to look a little bit different as you move through life.

[00:10:15] Jessica: And it's going to happen all the way until you move through that final stage door. I think the easiest way to look at purpose is to look around it, because sometimes when we look at purpose head on, we're looking for this very specific one word, one sentence answer, and it eludes us. But when we look at the different facets that make up purpose, it changes things.

[00:10:37] Jessica: It gives us a different perspective. We're able to see the bigger picture. And then some, it like sort of kind of rises up and we're like, Oh, there it is. So one of the facets that's a part of purpose is values. So these are the things that matter the most to you, the things that you want present in all that you do.

[00:10:56] Jessica: So my values are authenticity, curiosity, joy, grace, connection. And in order for me to live a meaningful life and find fulfillment, I have to have all of these things involved. It doesn't mean that my values don't get tweaked or changed. In fact, I just looked at my values again and I refreshed them a little bit because I found that one was like a little too narrow of an expression and I ended up choosing curiosity because it included that existing one, but it let me be so much more.

[00:11:23] Jessica: So at the heart of it, my values haven't changed. It's just how I was describing them. Intentions. play a really big part too in our purpose. And this is how, how we want to feel and sort of where we want to point our values and, and our purpose towards, kind of like a flashlight. It can also be the things that we want to co create.

[00:11:44] Jessica: And when I say co create, I mean, tapping into our human self, our soul self and to spirit. It's like we're all working together to bring these things to life. And so I take my values, you know, I take this idea of, Oh, how do I want to feel as I move through the world? Here are my values. And then we kind of co create from that space.

[00:12:04] Jessica: Which means if we're, we're tapping into that. Then intuition plays a part in your purpose to tuning into your higher self, that perspective that says, Hey, there's a bigger picture here. There's more than meets the eye. I think intuition is that nudge that tells us pay attention, get up there and get that 30, 000 foot view.

[00:12:23] Jessica: Cause you're not seeing everything. You need more expansiveness. So values, intentions, intuition, and then of course our collective, our community. And I talked about how important community and collective connection is in the Patreon before in a video, but y'all it matters. We do not live in a void. We live with other people on this planet, which means inevitably our purpose and how we find meaning is going to affect them.

[00:12:49] Jessica: And since it will affect them, Let's get intentional about how we move through the collective spaces. Okay? Gonna affect them no matter what. Let's make it count. Reclaiming your purpose helps you move through those spaces and it helps you improve and put your sparkle magic into those places as well. So with how connected we are on the internet and, and everything, we have that ability to affect people on the other side of the globe.

[00:13:12] Jessica: It's a superpower that we don't use enough in mindful ways, but it is part of our purpose. It's part of why we're here, right? It's this idea of oneness. Let's make it more intentional and when we tie that in and when we put it under or a facet of purpose, that helps us make it more intentional. And all of these pieces, they really lead to the, the idea of then what is a point of this?

[00:13:36] Jessica: Like to what end are we exploring our purpose? Like what is this ultimately here for? Why does it matter? How do you do something with it? I like to think of it like true north or your north star. So the north star has been used. As a navigation point since forever, because it's a fixed point that's easy to identify.

[00:13:57] Jessica: This means that if you're like cruising along on your boat and you get lost and you look up and the night sky and you're going to know, okay, that's north, that's south, that's east, this is west, all of that delicious stuff. So it helps you find your way. Purpose is the same thing. It's this bright point that helps you navigate, helps you make choices and decisions, helps you find your way, especially when you feel like life has turned upside down.

[00:14:22] Jessica: I remember once I was surfing in Puerto Rico. We lived there for almost five years, way back when. It's a beautiful place. The people are amazing. And I was surfing and I got slammed by a wave, totally smashed, pushed under completely, and I was tumbling and rolling around, tossed here and there. And as I was pushed under, I remembered someone telling me that the waves come in sets of three.

[00:14:44] Jessica: So most likely I was going to get pushed under two more times, just like this, before I broke even and could like do my own thing. So that when this wave that was pushing me under now let up, I'd need to pop up and catch my breath really quickly before being shoved down again so I can make it through the next one.

[00:15:03] Jessica: And I also knew that if I panicked, things would go south quickly. So I focused on the moment of just where I was, I'd let that wave take me where it wanted to go, and I got ready to pop up for a quick breath. Sure enough, barely get above the surface and get a small breath in, and I was slammed again, pushed under.

[00:15:20] Jessica: And this time felt so much harder because here I was being tossed around like I was in a washing machine, knowing that I, it was only round two. It was still coming. There's a whole nother one. I get to do this all over again. And the more I got rolled, the harder it was to figure out which way it was up this time.

[00:15:37] Jessica: But I just kept my focus on finding that moment, finding that opportunity where I was going to be able to hop above the surface, catch my breath. And then I just let the ocean have its way with me and trusted. I would be able to float to the top, find air. So once again, I made it to the surface. I grabbed a quick breath and I got rolled and this time was even harder.

[00:15:55] Jessica: This time it dragged me along the bottom where all of the coral was. So that was super amazing. And as I'm like being dragged, coral is so sharp, y'all. If you don't know, it's like knives. So I was being dragged along the coral and my hand got caught and I sliced my hand open and I knew it was probably kind of bad.

[00:16:12] Jessica: So I clasped it shut really tight and focused on the moment. I'm just going to go with the flow. I cannot change the fact that I am being dragged across coral right now. I really didn't have any idea which way was up because it was like just tumbling over the bottom. So trying to swim in any way, shape, or form to where I thought that surface would be, would have been a big mistake.

[00:16:31] Jessica: I could not get the perspective I needed to find the surface and going in the wrong direction could be deadly. So I just had to tap into this patience and this knowing and this trust. That I would surface and I would meet whatever was waiting for me above and to continue to do that. And lucky for me, I do float.

[00:16:49] Jessica: So I did surface and that was the last wave. Thank the goddess. And I got to shore and I got my handle stitched up. And I remember my husband saying that the only reason I didn't drown was that I didn't panic, I didn't fight the waves and I stayed focused on the one thing that really mattered, getting a breath when the opportunity was there.

[00:17:11] Jessica: I knew what was in my control, snagging that quick breath, and what was out of my control, all the other stuff. And to this day, I can close my eyes. I remember opening my eyes underwater and I can see the swishing in the motion. Just because I could get the breath, just because it did end, doesn't mean I don't remember the intensity of it.

[00:17:29] Jessica: It's not about blocking the intensity out. It's really about having the confidence to know that you can do it. And if it happened again, you know what to do. You can survive it. And I think that that is what purpose is. It's focusing on that quick breath that's going to help you keep going. It's focusing on the thing that matters most, no matter what is going on around you.

[00:17:50] Jessica: It's about focusing on the thing that is going to help you find the surface. But in order for purpose to work like that, to be a powerful tool, it can not be this shiny, polished, one and done thing that we see out there. It actually has to mean something to us specifically. It has to apply all of our human experiences.

[00:18:17] Jessica: So not just work, for example. Purpose has to be a practice. Where we tune into how we feel, what we value, how we connect to the world around us, to ourselves and to spirit. Reclaiming our purpose is about having the courage and the confidence and the trust in your ability to choose it every single day.

[00:18:38] Jessica: And I think that right there is why the conversation around purpose really needs to change because in the past, it's this idea that it's this magic golden nugget that some reader or psychic can tell you. And then you just did it. Poof. And that doesn't work. Y'all, no one can tell you what your purpose is.

[00:19:02] Jessica: No matter how psychic or mediumshipy they are. No matter how many guides they bring through. They cannot tell you what your purpose is. Because it's something that is within you. And it's something that you draw out. And if you let someone tell you your purpose or define your purpose and what that is, no matter how tempting it is, no matter how much easier it would seem at first, it is going to lead to feelings of failure and self judgment.

[00:19:31] Jessica: Purpose just isn't a one sentence, one word answer. It's made up of all those pieces that we talked about that are all highly personal. And when all of those pieces come together, that's what makes your purpose. It's not something that someone tells you. It's something that you choose to do every single day.

[00:19:50] Jessica: It's something that empowers you to align with what truly matters. In your life, and this version of purpose is what helps you overcome those challenges. Those waves that push you down again and again, purpose is that sweet spot that you tap into when it comes to finding that meaningful and fulfilling life.

[00:20:10] Jessica: When it comes to co creating that life that you really need, whether it's in business or relationships or personal growth, it doesn't matter. And because purpose is a journey and not a destination, it can be a bit of a wild ride. Not gonna lie. Doesn't make everything flow magically. Remember, you've got this.

[00:20:31] Jessica: Spirit is backing you up. The people who love you and really see you are backing you up. Yes, reclaiming your purpose is a bit more work than having a reader tell you a purpose because it's a purpose, sure. But when you reclaim it, that means it's actually your purpose. And that is so worth it. That's where the magic really begins.

[00:20:55] Jessica: So as you move forward with purpose, as you start to look at all of those different pieces that make it up, take a moment and kind of just observe where your purpose is expressing itself right now. It could be in work, but it could be in your personal life. It could be in the collective. It could be the things that you do as a hobby.

[00:21:14] Jessica: It could be so many things, so many things. But try and get yourself up there to that 30, 000 foot view and really see where, where is my purpose expressing itself right now in this moment. Next episode, we are going to chat all about what a purpose driven life can look like with one of my favorite human beings, Bethany Hawkins from Crackers and Soup.

[00:21:34] Jessica: And I can't wait. She's amazing. She's like joy personified. She's fantastic. But until then, find a moment to slow down and take a nice deep breath and ask this episode's question. What points you in the right What is your North star when you get dunked by life's waves? And let me know. DM me, email me, and with your permission, I'll share your answers on an upcoming episode.

[00:21:59] Jessica: Thank you so much for tuning in to Reclaiming Our Spirit again. And if you love this episode, don't forget to subscribe and share it with others. Thank you for listening to Reclaiming Our Spirit. To find out how I can help you reclaim your spirit, reach out to me at www. jessicapaschke. com. Leave me a message and I just may share how you reclaimed your spirit in the next episode.

[00:22:24] Jessica: Peace.

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