Chapter 2 Purpose

The Healing Project Book

By Dennis Lantz

CHAPTER 2 Purpose

This may seem contradictory. Purpose is the most important factor in your life. But some people worry too much about it. If you are like millions, perhaps billions, of people who do not know what your purpose is, you may spend unnecessary time dwelling on it. Contemplating your role in life can be beneficial, especially if you struggle with happiness, or if you can’t seem to get your life going in the way you would like. But it isn’t necessary. Just know that your purpose isn’t meant to be worried about… it is meant to be done.

Not everyone’s purpose is to change the world. But some of you will. Every purpose is of equal importance to the individual.

I’ve said that The Healing Project is a guide for personal transformation and a foundation for a life of fulfillment. It’s a method to strengthen connections with our families, friends, and communities by focusing on harmony rather than on division and differences. It’s a journey to improve our lives and the lives of others. The Healing Project is also an attempt to help everyone find their purpose.

But what does that really mean?

If you are reading this book, you already have shown a desire to improve your life. Everyone has an innate desire for their life to have meaning. The Healing Project is a catalyst to show you how to find and follow your purpose. But it is also meant to help you become a better person, one who accepts and gives love, friendship, kindness, joy and all the other wonderful facets and possibilities of the human condition.

I think we have a collective purpose and a personal purpose. In addition to perpetuating the species, our collective purpose is to improve the quality of life for every human, and when possible, every inhabitant of the earth. The American Dream was that each successive generation had more opportunities for personal growth. It’s not about money, fame, or power. It is about increasing health by increasing safety and strength.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, I think it is necessary to offer some definitions. In this book I will write about purpose, vision, dreams, and goals. Though similar in concept, they differ in specific ways. These may mean different things to different people. But my meanings are as follows:

Purpose: Your purpose is your motivating factor. It’s why you get up in the morning. The French say raison d’etre… your reason for being. I view purpose in a slightly more spiritual way. I believe that every soul has a purpose that was given to us by the divine spirit. I think of our path through life as a walk along an invisible road. That road is our purpose. When we are on the ‘right path’ we know it. When we deviate or get off that path, we encounter obstacles that nudge us back to it, like a guidance system. Working at, and being guided by, one’s purpose brings contentment, if not happiness.

Vision: Your vision is a strategic guide and action plan. But I like to think of it as your soul’s interaction with the universe. The clearer your vision, the more likely it will take you along life’s path to the fulfillment of your purpose and achievement of your dreams. Your vision is your focus on the details.

Dream: A dream is an idea created in the mind. A dream is not a fantasy or a goal; it is an earthly objective which your soul longs to create. Working to fulfill a dream is about building and accomplishing something that is not transitory. Dreams often change. But fulfilling them is part of our purpose. And our action plan to fulfill them is our vision.   

Goals: A goal is the desired outcome of your ambition or effort. Something you want to obtain. Goals can be part of a dream or a vision. In fact, a goal can be a dream and a dream can be a goal. But they don’t have to be the same.

It may appear that everyone’s purpose, vision, and dreams are similar… because we all have the same basic needs. But they are never exactly the same. One of the great truths about life is that, even with all of our similarities, we are unique in our thoughts.

Everyone has a healing project whether you focus your attention on it or not. You are changing. You are healing, even if you are not consciously doing so. I like to differentiate between personal healing projects… and The Healing Project. Each of us has, or can develop, a mission or plan to improve our lives. Your healing project is different than mine and from others. The Healing Project, with capital letters, is an organization whose mission is to improve society as a collection and is a support group for all our personal healing projects.

Your healing project (small letters) is your personal journey to healing, and, one might argue, is more important than any organization. Each of us has a path to get us from an unsatisfied state to a more satisfied state. Sometimes we need assistance. Other times we give assistance. The Healing Project (capital letters) is about assistance.

Before we start exploring the various facets of The Healing Project, and what it can do for you, it is essential to understand healing. It’s a fundamental power, but it still must be defined. What is healing? A quick online search defines it as ‘the process of becoming healthy again. To recover from injury.’ My understanding of healing is similar. I think of healing as going from a state of discomfort toward a state of comfort. Healing is about change. From injury. From grief. From wear and tear. From pain. From anguish toward peace. From an unpleasant past toward a brighter future. I use the word ‘toward’ because, while optimum health is the target, healing is about moving away from one thing and toward another.

When I write about healing, I am intent on the path to overall wellness. Physical healing. Emotional healing. Psychological healing. Spiritual healing. We will look at each of these. Separately… and together. We will also look at social healing, political healing, and financial healing. Because there are numerous types of discomfort, there are many paths that lead toward healing.

That same quick, on-line search brought up methods and lists about healing. Everything from revisiting your past over and over to face your most hurtful memories, (so you can figure solutions or get a better understanding), to catalogues of physical or emotional pain symptoms… to so-called miracle cures.

Thousands, probably millions, of lists concerning healing can be found in a search. Because healing is different for everyone, I recommend you contemplate your own personalized list. Later, we will do that together. Even if a hundred people have a similar problem, their rates of healing will be different. The methods they use will have varying degrees of effectiveness. Most healing is unique… because you are unique. The processes may be similar. The results may be similar. But similar is not ‘exactly the same’.

Motivation is important in the healing process. Most physical injuries will heal because your body automatically initiates the process. If you cut your finger, you need only concern yourself with keeping it clean. The cellular regeneration occurs without conscious thought. But with other injuries… the emotional, psychological, or spiritual pain… need to be analyzed. A simple question to ask yourself is… why do I want to heal? To feel better? To prove to myself that there is more to life than misery? To break cycles of abuse, neglect, and pain? Whatever your answer, the motivation and the process are unique to you.

Here is an overview of the types of healing. This is not an in depth look at any of them. Entire books have been written on these subjects. Complete libraries could be filled. My intention is to explain each of them and offer some suggestions. Again, as I am not a medical doctor or psychiatrist, I will not detail any particular illness or ailment. I just want you to know that there is help available. The references that I mention are not a complete recommended reading list. They are some that I found helpful. Like much of the healing process, I urge you to seek them out yourself.

Physical healing

In 2022, healthcare expenditures in the United States topped $4.1 trillion dollars. That was nearly triple from 2020, partly due to the Covid response. Even pre-covid, it cost over $1.2 trillion each year.*

The gross domestic product, according to U.S. government data, for 2022 was 25.1 trillion dollars. This is not an assessment on the costs of hospital care or widespread reliance on pharmaceuticals. Nor is it a criticism of how unhealthy, generally speaking, our nation has become. But it is eye-opening how much money is spent on physical healing.

I see things changing. People are much more invested in natural foods, making sure that their diet consists of healthy minerals and vitamins, and are eliminating some of the worst processed and unhealthy foods and drinks. We have a long way to go. Too many deleterious options remain available.  

Many groups advocate for preventative care and wellness treatment. For holistic practices. Technology allows us to count steps, check our heartrate and our other vital statistics. We now can plan health routines and dietary programs.

Your physical health regimen is personal. Later in this book I will detail some so-called life hacks that can assist your personal healing project. You are the best advocate of for your health maintenance and care.

We each have our own state of personal health. Some, in good health, can develop a maintenance program to remain that way.

But maybe you are already in poor health. This is a more difficult position, but it isn’t impossible. You must determine a method or path to better health.

Professionals disagree on the number of diseases that exist. Different groups state between 7,000 and 30,000. Most are rare. Many are variations of the same illness.

The treatment of disease is almost as varied as the number of diseases. One can choose natural, homeopathic, traditional or conventional of treatment. Dozens of methods of physical therapy exist. Pharmaceuticals are ever present and a common treatment. Rest, meditation, and hundreds of other treatment possibilities exist. New ones are continually being developed.

Medical treatment can be broken down into specific types of care depending on whether you and your doctor are trying to alleviate pain or get to the root cause of the problem. These categories of treatment include symptomatic, palliative, preventative, etymology, curative, medical, medico-technical, and surgical care.

Because there are so many types of treatment, it is often difficult to know which is the best for you. That isn’t the scope of this book. Only you and your doctor can determine that. And if your doctor doesn’t want to explore all the options, find another one who will. That isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Too often we are limited financially, regionally, or even in knowledge of the options.

My advice on maintaining or improving health: move as much as you can. And keep moving… even when you don’t really want to do so. Warm up and then stretch. Find life hacks that make sense to you. I will cover some of these in another chapter. Sauna, physical therapy, cold water immersion, walking and hiking, cardio, strength training, massage, acupuncture, and energy healing are just a few of the possibilities.  

Emotional healing

Too many people are angry. Or sad. Or without hope. Emotionally stunted people are quick to irrationality. Quick to claim victimization. Paul Eckman named the various emotions back in the 1970s. Acc9rding to him, Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, Fear, and Surprise were the primary emotions. Later he added Pride, Embarrassment, Shame, and Excitement.*

Most psychologists believe emotions come on a spectrum or gradient. Like a paint color chart, emotions are a pallet that can be mixed to multiple shades. Some are simple. Most are multifaceted.

When I write about emotional healing, I am not denigrating anyone who “cares too much” or is empathetic. Emotions and the role they play in our lives and health are complex. Balance is the key to good emotional health. It’s better to feel something and not let it control you… than to not feel anything at all. But like the sliding scale, too much of something may cause harm. It’s okay to feel sad when you grieve, or to be angry over injustice. It’s even healthy to have a slight fear of the unknown or to feel a surge of joy at the proper moments.

The problem comes when emotions inhibit you from understanding or from living a contented life. Too much sadness. Too much fear. Too much pride. These can stunt your life. They can cause you to react to situations in ways that are debilitating or counterproductive.

Often, emotional healing is necessary to move on from past experiences. I will be the first to admit that I never developed a healthy emotional state. I am empathetic and compassionate… but I frequently do not understand the origins of my anger or frustration. I get teary eyed for reasons that catch me by surprise. 

I try not force my emotional reactions onto others. When I am angry, I don’t argue or berate others. When I am sad, I attempt to resolve the issue by myself. Is that healthy? I can’t say that it is. I try not to overreact with emotion. And there is a difference between reacting with emotion and overreacting with emotion.

Psychological healing

Psychological healing is an extension of emotional healing. Traumas occur too often. Every one of us has been damaged psychologically by death, maltreatment (of any sort), and accidents. So many incidents shape our psyche. They may not even seem traumatic when they occur. I have talked to people who are terrified of dogs because they saw someone bitten. It didn’t happen to them… and the victim was not seriously harmed physically.

Of course, humans can be unusually cruel and selfish. Physical and emotional abuse at any age can shape the rest of your life… either as recurring trauma or as an impetus for healing.

Depending on the type of psychological healing necessary, one can seek professional help or work out the problems on their own. Reading numerous ‘Self-Help” books helped me move past my own psychological problems. More important than reading them, I implemented some of the advice. Dr. Wayne Dyer’s books were quite influential in my social and personal healing.

It is important to note that we are all different in our reactions to trauma. There should be no shame for therapy or for prescription drugs that are beneficial. And we should not judge others who are having difficulty dealing with something that seems insignificant to us. We all heal differently.

Spiritual healing

I like to make predictions, even if there is little data to back them up. One of mine is this: Hundreds of years from now, this time will be known as the dark ages; not because of our lack of knowledge or scientific advancements, but because of our spiritual stagnation and regression.

I believe that much of our societal chaos is caused by the removal of spirituality from our lives. Many have written about the differences between religion and spirituality. If you ask ten people, I suspect that most (if not all) would tell you that they think of themselves as spiritual… just not religious. I would say the same.

Religion used to offer structure to our lives. In some cultures, this remains. But not in the western world. Those who identify as Christian or atheist (I consider this a religion) often cannot clearly state the tenets of their faith. They usually have contradictory beliefs. Not because they aren’t good people… but because the components of spirituality are often imprecise and personally interpretive.

My mother and sister left thousands of books in the house where I grew up. When they passed, I began to clean. A large percentage are fiction, but there are hundreds of religious tomes and books written about specific spiritual aspects. Some are old books. All had been read or browsed. By my mother, her parents, or others of their generation.

I’m not sure if anyone reads those types of books anymore. Perhaps evangelical students. I suspect that more reading is done on-line now.  

Just a few years ago, spirituality was a common topic in the bookstores. People read about it in depth. Then came social media and cell phones. Life changed. The pace quickened. That isn’t to say that life didn’t always pass speedily. But our attention spans shortened. Our topics of discussion changed.

Enclaves of spirituality remain. Just as there were scholars and those who remained fascinated by science during the Dark Ages that preceded the Renaissance, so too are there still some who delve into the inner workings of our spiritual world. But, overall, I think that these topics are minimized.

Will that change? I think that it will… and quickly. Cycles of social phenomena come and go much quicker than they once did. And people are inclined to become more spiritual when times are tough. I believe we are now in the midst of difficult times. Perhaps some of the worst in known history because our population is the highest it has ever been. So, I am actually optimistic that there will be multiple spiritual awakenings. My Dark Age prediction might only be limited to decades instead of centuries.

We are still trying to adapt to new technologies. Remember, it wasn’t long ago that we didn’t have phones attached to our hands. At some point, enough people will long for a spiritual reconnection. It will come on a personal level. Organized religion will likely continue to see diminishing congregations and a deplatforming of their ideas. With exceptions. My final prediction is that we will start to see miracles. And we will accept them into our own lives.

We will take a look at other types of healing in later chapters. Social healing, financial healing, and political healing. All are important.

Until next time,

Read, Learn, Live.

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Bibliography

*According to ama-assn.org

**The 6 Types of Basic Emotions and Their Effect on Human Behavior

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd, article updated on July 14, 2024

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Dennis Lantz is the author of Zander's Tale. The Spiders of Eden, and the Pine Street Trilogy (Pine Street and the Mighty Mutation Circus, Pine Street and the Dino-Beast Clones, and Pine Street and the Mirrors of Freedom.) His nonfiction Summer in Gentlewoods uses journal entries to tell the real-life adventure of living in a primitive shelter in the woods of his family farm.

Dennis and his wife, Christy, live in Warren Center, Pennsylvania. They share their home with Austin, a Texas rescue who is a cross between a Jack Russell and an angel.

For more information visit www.dennislantz.com or follow Dennis Lantz Books on Facebook.