Do you know your purpose in life? When I ask that question, do you think of a career, a particular goal or a vision of where you want to be 10, 20 or even 30 years from now? Thinking in these terms would be concerned with your outer purpose, according to Eckhart Tolle, author of “A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.”

In Chapter 9, Tolle talks about an inner purpose and an outer purpose. Our inner purpose is when we align our life fully with the present moment. The inner purpose is the same for everyone: to awaken. The outer purpose will take different forms for different people. The outer purpose varies and is subject to time.

When we awaken, the outer purpose falls into place. As Tolle says, “Life will become helpful.” When our outer purpose is aligned to our inner purpose, that is when we are most powerful. The key is not what we do but HOW we do it.

So being becomes primary and doing becomes secondary.

I'm wondering how many find that as we grow older, we are more concerned with being, rather than doing? It's been that way for me. What has been your experience?