Contents

In this branch our goal is to:

• understand how the pursuit of meaning becomes a reality in the context of our struggles pertaining to where we work, study & live day in and day out 
• consider how we can transform our current circumstances and 'lot in life' into a meaningful 'season of life'.  
• consider the importance of connection  and a sense of place, family & community.
• gain a greater understanding of our individual roles in the collective story.  
  
• acknowledge that though it is pertinent that, 'I have a purpose', it is as equally or more important that we understand the basic premise, 'it is not about me'!

The Fifth branch -
 Where place and meaning converge

There is probably no more vivid example of the struggle for purpose and the pursuit of meaning than how we encounter the many challenges of where we live our lives day in and day out & who we share that experience with. The stories that most often deeply challenge us to consider our own existence and the purpose of our thoughts, dreams, ambitions, accomplishments and failures may very well be intimately connected to our sense of place.  Often the abstract and even theoretical pursuit of meaning suddenly becomes very much real and tangible in our journey through life as we come to understand the importance of our 'lot in life'.  It is in our homes as spouses & parents, in our friendships, in the workplace as employer or employee, through our involvement in institutions and fulfilling civil duties as citizens and even what we do for fun and entertainment that are indicative of how we perceive and live out our purpose in life. As we age and ultimately assess the whether or not our life energy, resources and time was invested wisely we will all return our place or 'lot' in life.

        Perhaps one of the most important steps we can take in life, is a step back, to take a look at what our life and our story is saying and why we are where we are.  Our stories, or our 'lot in life' as it used to be put in centuries past, may be thought of as the culmination of the places and people we have shared life with and how those relationships, along with our choices, have or have not reflected our beliefs, values and dreams.  Honesty and looking at life this way, engaging in this type of personal assessment can be difficult and for some even painful.  It is a contemplation that may reveal not only how others have failed us, but how we have failed those we love as well our own dreams and aspirations. It takes courage and willingness to engage in some self-examination. These periodic and brief times of self-evaluation should bring us to a place in which we confront and experience the realization of why we have ended up where we are in life and why we choose to pursue meaning in the places where we find ourselves.  Once we reach this place of honesty in our assessment of our 'lot in life' we can take into deep consideration whether or not we are living according to full potential in serving others and the utilization of our skills and gifts. 

Coming soon:

The safety of home
        Grafted in  (finding meaning in a new family & community)
             The model family 
                 Our connection to Place & the Pursuit of Meaning
                      The connection between time and place
                          Divine discontent & disconnect
                                 History and meaning and the meaning of history
                                       What we choose in the end