Each of us comes into our life with a set of skills, gifts and qualities unique and specific to us. All of us want to be successful. As I finished posting my recent article on success, I thought again about what it feels for me to be truly successful. And for me, that feeling is all about service. Service to ohers using those unique skills, qualities and gifts that make me different and make my heart sing. For me, it’s about using my training and motivational abilities to inspire others to live more authentic, joyful, passionate lives.
DavidJi, lead instructor at The Chopra Center, has a gifted way of talking about this: he calls it discovering your life’s purpose, your dharma. In other words, that which you came here to do, aided by your unique set of skills. Davidji tells a story about teaching a workshop in which one person said to him: “Well, I don’t have one; I don’t have a dharma, a purpose,” … and the person seemed adamant about it. After a great many questions, the woman said “I got it, I got it!” to the relief of everyone at the workshop. “I can massage dogs’ jowls like nobody else!” She had discovered her unique skill, her purpose. Since then she has gone on to a career in which she helps rehabilitate dogs that would otherwise be put to sleep. She gets her hands in their mouths, massages them and transports them to doggie nirvana. The dogs become happier, more relaxed and cooperative, can now be re-trained. Amazing, right? Very powerful.
All of us have a purpose, and we all have a unique set of skills to help us get there. Once we find it we can be truly successful. I mean truly successful … living the life we came here to live. And that success is all about service. Service to the larger Life within our life. The link, the connection is in the dharma.
So how do we find our purpose, our unique gifts?
- Ask yourself and meditate.
- Remember (or ask your parents) what you loved to do as a child.
- If money were no object for you, what would you love to be doing?
Please share your thoughts:
