My first purpose paradigm states that I desire to live for total health and consciousness forever. I would like to unpackage this a little in this post. First off, what do I mean by total health? Health is not just lacking a horrible ailment or feeling okay, but rather possessing a vibrant internal energy which can manifest itself in any number of physical actions. There are three main tiers of health:

1. Symptom health, or comfort. I, like everyone else, would rather not have pain or irritation, be it from a sore back, arthritic hands, or runny nose, all of which are symptoms I deal with on a daily basis.
2. Preventative health. This includes all the things I do with my diet, posture, exercise, and alternative modalities to hopefully guarantee more longevity and general physiological functionality.
3. Vibrant internal energy. This could be thought of as a state of being where the physical and the spiritual begin to blend. However, this is not the result of a shortcut, such as psychedelics, which will not last, but rather a sustainable existence.

I distinguished this paradigm from that of ‘Living in Appointed Times by Faith‘ by using the word ‘for’. I am not living IN total health but living FOR it. It is a state of being I am working towards, and even if I don’t ever fully attain it, this will still be a fulfilling endeavor. Moreover, I hope to experience this in the afterlife.

In reaching that place of vibrant internal energy, one must deal with the first two layers of health first, that is, symptom health and preventative health. These often seem to be at war with each-other. A vital practice is to lessen that battle by finding modalities that can help both symptom health and preventative health. This is often a challenge.

Consciousness is the next key word to tackle. Dictionary.com defines consciousness as the awareness of one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts and surroundings. I view consciousness as the ability to ask ‘why’ and not just live in the ‘what’. I desire not just to experience bliss, but to understand what makes bliss so blissful. What this practically means is that I want to live life proactively and not reactively. I want to choose every action I take based upon rational thought and philosophical understanding, not live on impulses, urges, traditions, or the whims of others. I want to rise above my fleshly, animal lusts and transcend to a higher order of existence.

This aspect of consciousness I believe finds its origin in the divine, who made us in His image, and the most prominent aspect of this image is the higher consciousness that we have the potential of attaining. When I live my life simply responding to animal lusts and the tyranny of the urgent, I miss out on the rich rewards of living consciously. I recommend you read an article by Steve Pavlina entitled The Courage to Live Consciously. This will both inspire and challenge you to not let fears prevent you from experiencing everything life has to offer.