Coming to fruition as a human being
In nature, all lifeforms gravitate towards a state of fruition. The state of fruition an organism arrives at doesn't transcend life—it supports it. From a seed, a flower grows to fulfill its purpose within the web of life by providing nectar to insects. When the flower passes, it returns to nourish the earth and the cycle begins again.
Human beings are more complex than a flower. As living beings, our potential is far greater physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. However, what we share in common with other creatures is that our reaching fruition enables us to enrich the whole of nature. We live our purpose not just for our satisfaction, but also for the benefit of all existence—the expansion of consciousness, the deepening and widening of possibilities in the universe.
What does it mean to come to fruition? Do we come to it near the middle of our life when we're at the height of our powers or the end when all our work is done?
When I was in my 20s, I spent a lot of energy trying to draw out my full artistic potential. I held this idea that the value of my life was measured by what I produced. Through many years of practice, I might achieve a level of mastery that could inspire future generations to come. Coming to fruition as a person meant moving towards an ideal that exists in the future.
Thinking of coming to fruition as a goal to strive towards can be helpful. It gives us a sense of direction and purpose. However, it can also sustain a sense of being perpetually limited and incomplete until we reach some ideal in our minds. But what if there's another way to look at fruition?
A newborn child is complete in and of herself—she fulfills her purpose by being born. A young musician finds their full potential right in the heart of their practice—they fulfill their purpose through the act of learning and offering another the chance to teach.
If we allow ourselves to BE as we are and engaged fully in our activities right at this moment in time, we have come to fruition. This kind of fruition doesn't require us to become virtuosos. Rather than striving for perfection, it asks us to accept our present experience without judgment. It invites us to see the beauty of what's already there.
In his book Being Mortal, Dr. Atul Gawande writes: "For human beings, life is meaningful because it is a story. A story has a sense of a whole, and its arc is determined by the significant moments, the ones where something happens. Measurements of people’s minute-by-minute levels of pleasure and pain miss this fundamental aspect of human existence."
How meaningful life is for us depends on how many fruitful moments we can recognize in the time that we have. If we can notice how our fullest potential expresses itself throughout our days, then our story becomes one in which every moment is significant. Every moment of our life is a complete offering.
Questions to reflect on
What are some signs that indicate you are already living your purpose right now?
How are others already benefiting from your presence in their life?
Can you notice those moments when you are experiencing a sense of fullness? What are you doing at those times? Who are you with?