What really is purpose

Today, a friend posed a fairly good question to me and I would like to post what my specific reply to him was. I understand that different people will have different answers to this same question but that is the healthy part. I consider different answers healthy because I am in the process of learning and am looking forward to the time that there will only be one answer for me - the time that I will not stop to consider anything else except that which has become the real answer for me.

I told my inquiring friend that for me purpose primarily means two important things:

• That we have within us (at any point in life) something of value that we need to release into the world.
• That the world (and mostly human beings) are in need of that which is within us. Indeed they are always in the process of waiting for it to be released to them.

Further discussions gave us the enlightenment that most of the frustrations that we feel are really our inner beings begging for what is inside to be released as well as those around us demanding that we do the just thing and fill their lives with the good that lies in us. This reminded me of an observation that someone made saying that if we know that we are withholding what belongs to others, this should drive us into action, to fulfill our purpose on this earth - if only we can realise that we do others a great deal of injustice when we remain inactive in as far as our purpose is concerned.

After all, we are everyday enjoying the work of other people in music, books, lectures etc. Why then do we hoard?