As humans, we are built to look for patterns in life as a way of developing a better understanding of our history and predicting what might be expected to happen. The identification of such patterns can also help us achieve a better perspective on life.

When we examine our own lives for patterns, we can sometimes ascribe a spiritual meaning to our existence. For instance, in a previous blog, I described how my involvement in various college experiences, including studies of biology, journalism, psychology, and religion gave me the background necessary to develop my career as a pediatrician who teaches children about using the power of their minds through hypnosis.

As a college student, I did not have any idea that my varied interests could be combined into a single spiritually fulfilling career. Thus, looking back at my life, it seems as if I have been guided by an external force to my current profession from which I can help so many children better understand their potential positive role in this world.

This spiritual feeling empowers me daily to care for my patients with patience, love, and gratitude for the opportunity to serve in my role.

Three more examples from my life illustrate how deriving a spiritual meaning from patterns in our lives can shape our perspective about life and our subsequent actions.

A decade ago, my wife and I began contemplating relocating our family from the Northeast to a warmer location near an ocean. We thought about southern California as a possible destination and contacted a realtor who asked us to describe our ideal house.

Off the top of my head, I replied that we would want a house near the coast, with a single level that would be easier to navigate when we retired, with two to three bedrooms, as we were downsizing, a home office that I could use to offer hypnosis and counseling, located near a university, in case I wanted to teach, and near a synagogue.

Unfortunately, we found out that there were no houses within our budget that fit those criteria in the expensive coastal area.

When we visited........

© Psychology Today