Aligning with my Design
Life Purpose.
Life purpose is a big topic, and one that I feel many out there are wondering about as illusions of certainty begin to crumble. What are we all doing here, anyways? What is the point of all of this? Somewhere between YOLO-ing (do people still say that?!) like there is no tomorrow and living a meticulously planned existence of going to work, paying bills, and dying, lies the answer to finding your life purpose. Life purpose, based on my current understanding, is not about finding the perfect career or perfect life; It is not a destination, but a journey that is constantly unfolding.
To live a life of purpose and experience all of the beauty this world has to offer, you need to align yourself with the way energy wants to move through you naturally.
This might sound a little cryptic, but it really isn’t. Let me explain.
Strategy and Authority.
In Human Design, the two most fundamental aspects of your chart are your Strategy (how you are designed to use your energy) and your Authority (how you are designed to make decisions). Together, Strategy and Authority form the basis for which all other Human Design knowledge can be added to. According to the founder of Human Design, if you follow your Strategy and Authority for 7 years, you will be as enlightened as the Buddha. While there is so much to know about Human Design and each individual chart, without Strategy and Authority, the rest really means nothing. Living according to your Strategy and Authority is what will help you line up with your true nature and begin to align with your life purpose.
For those curious to learn more about your unique Strategy and Authority, check out my course: Align with your Design.
My Experience with Strategy and Authority.
I would like to offer my own experience with my Strategy and Authority as an example of how living out these concepts will align you with a life of beauty and purpose and help you to wake up to your true nature.
I have been aware of and consciously experimenting with my Strategy and Authority for a little over a year. I am a Projector with Emotional Authority, so my strategy is to wait for the invitation and my authority means that I am designed to feel my way through decisions, and to avoid making any decisions when I am at an emotional high or an emotional low. There is, of course, so much more to it than that! I don’t want to oversimplify or mis-represent these important concepts. If you are truly curious to learn the ins and outs of Strategy and Authority, I highly recommend taking my course. My goal here is to show, with specific examples, how stepping in to living as my true self opened up my life in ways I never thought were possible.
How my life changed when I found out I am a Projector.
Oh, mannnn… finding out I am a Projector was frikkin’ mind blowing. I mean… it changed everything. Made me question everything. Made me re-evaluate everything in my life and move towards work, recreation, relationships, and living situations that were more health-promoting and life-enhancing. Here is what I learned and how it changed my life:
1. What I learned: As a Projector, I am here to guide the energy of others instead of getting caught up in the “doing” of the world. Projectors have an intense, probing aura that actually goes in to the auras of other people. We can clearly see, according to our area of expertise (which can really be anything!) how to help someone. The catch is that we have to be invited first (e.g. the Strategy of waiting for the invitation), otherwise we can come off as bossy and/or downright repulsive in our attempts to guide unwilling followers.
How this changed my life: Before learning what it means to be a Projector, I was definitely caught up (SO caught up) in trying to do as much as possible. I was burning the candle at all ends and was burning out, hard. At the time I discovered Human Design, I was training full-time as an endurance athlete and was completely exhausted and constantly sick. On top of also being a full-time graduate student, this was a recipe for Projector disaster. Projectors are generally quite intelligent and good at blending in with the crowd. In a world where 70% of people are Generators and Manifesting Generators (the types that ARE able to do a lot, as long as they are doing what they love!), I got completely swept away in the idea that I could do it all, too. And why would I not think that? Before learning about Human Design, there was no way to know any differently.
Essentially, learning that I am not here to get caught up in the doing allowed me to cut out a lot from my life. I stopped intense training (I still exercise for fun and enjoyment, and this is an ongoing area of exploration and growth for me), which was an extremely (EXTREMELY) hard decision for me as I had just made the National Team in my sport. But I knew with every fibre of my being that it was the right choice for my overall health, well-being and life. I also created a work schedule that fits my energy, allowing for lots of breaks and enough sleep every night. One year later, I now give myself time and space in my life to rest as much as I need and I don’t beat myself up about it. I feel more vital and vibrant than I have since I was a kid (when I likely trusted myself and the way the energy flows through my body, before being conditioned to equate worth with doing and productivity!). That in itself is the most incredible gift.
2. What I learned: That Projectors easily recognize the talents and gifts of others
How it changed my life: I loved learning this! It was much less painful than learning that I was trying to do too much in all areas of my life. Learning that it is natural and easy for me to recognize the talents and gifts of others simply confirmed to me that I am on the right path in life. I had the wonderful opportunity in my counselling practicum placement this year to use strengths-based positive psychology with middle and high school students. Exploring this showed me that I love (LOVE) helping others to see and use their strengths, which set the stage and provided my “why” for starting Human Design Counselling.
3. What I learned: To use their Strategy correctly, Projectors must wait to be recognized and invited in, especially in the four most important areas of life (career, love, to bond with others, and for a place to live).
How it changed my life: Ouch, this one also hurt to learn. It also explained several failed relationships that I had invited myself into! Still working on this one, which mainly involves being deeply honest with myself about when I am truly recognized as my authentic self and invited in wholeheartedly by another person.
4. What I learned: Projectors need to validate themselves if they are to be recognized for who they truly are and invited in to the correct opportunities for them.
How it changed my life: This was another tough one, and an ongoing theme of personal growth for me. This last year, I examined just how much I can look outside of myself for validation, and how much I try to present myself in a way that will be seen favourably in the eyes of others. This, of course, is highly detrimental to living according to my true nature! It has been a real journey of self-love for me this last year, where I have acknowledged my true gifts and had the courage to show them to the world. This will be an ongoing practice for me, as it sometimes feels absolutely terrifying to be completely authentic and truthful about who I am, what I do, and my dreams for the future.
5. What I learned: Projectors do not regenerate their energy by doing!
How it changed my life: Similar to #1, I gave myself the ultimate permission to do less. And this has opened up so many opportunities for me. Others will sense an exhausted Projector and will not be drawn to invite them in to guide their energy. If you are Projector and you are exhausted, your first step toward alignment is REST!
How my life changed when I found out I have Emotional Authority.
1. What I learned: That people with Emotional Authority experience an emotional “wave” that they ride for their entire life.
How this changed my life: Well, it certainly explained a lot of teary phone calls home to mom over the years! It also probably explains every single fight I’ve ever had with anyone, ever. This just made SO much sense for me to learn about. For the last year, I have been experimenting with tuning in to my wave and evaluating my mood each day. If I am in a low mood, I plan accordingly and take on a lot less than I do when I am in a high mood. For people with this Authority, there is nothing we can do but ride the wave. The wave is just there: A background frequency in our lives. People with this Authority often try to avoid the low points of the wave, or beat themselves up for a bad mood. Knowing that this is my Authority gave me permission and intention to feel all of my feelings, and to know that swinging from high to low is a normal part of who I am.
2. What I learned: To use this Authority correctly, I need to wait for emotional clarity. This means being patient, taking at least a few days before making important decisions, and “feeling it out” through the highs and low of my emotional wave.
How this changed my life: Well for one thing, it explained every terrible decision I have ever made! The ironic thing about this Authority, at least in my experience, is that I am most tempted to make decisions when I am at a high or a low point in my wave, which is exactly when I should not be making decisions! For example, during low moods I have often felt frustrated with life circumstances and have just wanted to pack up everything and move immediately! I did make a big move across the country this year, and I know it was the right choice because I felt my way through it at both emotional high and low points. After feeling it out over a period of time, I was able to decide with emotional clarity that yes, this move was the right thing for me.
3. What I learned: The difference between feeling it through and thinking it through. I learned that while waiting for emotional clarity, my mind would often try to step in and rationalize a decision one way or another. I also learned that there is a huge difference between a thought and a feeling, which I had never really tried to disentangle before. With practice, I am getting much better at distinguishing between the chatter of my mind, which is not my truth, and my feeling about something, which will always provide me with wise guidance.
How this changed my life: Noticing when my mind is trying to convince me of something that is wrong for me (yet deeply engrained in my psyche from learned experiences) has been completely transformative for making the best decisions for my true self. I know when something is right because it feels right – like the most natural thing in the world. If I don’t have that feeling, I know it is wrong or that I need more time and am not yet ready to make my decision.
With my new course and with all other offerings through Human Design Counselling, I can’t (and will never) tell you what to do. However, what I can do is show you how to live as yourself, which will provide you with the tools to line up with the way energy wants to move to and through you. I created the Align with your Design course because I truly believe that every person on the planet should know their Strategy and Authority. I believe that everyone has the right and ability experience the deep self-love, self-sovereignty, confidence, and freedom that comes from living according to your true nature.
I hope this blog has provided some insight into what Strategy and Authority actually is and their potential for transforming your life. Of course, not everyone is a Projector with Emotional Authority, so if you are curious to learn more, I highly recommend looking into your unique Strategy and Authority. If you have any questions about my course or these concepts, please feel free to contact me or check out this page.
With love and respect for your journey back to your true nature,
Courtney
