We are told from the beginning of school to look at the subjects we do well in and focus on those areas for a career. We are told to study hard and take advantage of different opportunities to advance ourselves. We are told to look at the pay scale and health benefits a job has to offer. We are told to work hard and climb our way to the top so we can afford the comforts of life and reap the benefits of our hard work.
Why is it then that so many of us follow this recipe and still end up feeling like something is missing? How is it that while we may enjoy our career sometimes we still struggle with the need to do more or search further for personal fulfillment? The answer is simple. It is because most of us were never told to take our divinity into consideration when it comes to choosing our careers.
Now, before you think I’ve gone off the deep end, let me explain myself. By divinity I am referring to the natural talents or gifts you have inside. While this concept is newer to the Western way of thought, the idea of allowing your talents or dharma to lead your path has been embraced in Eastern cultures for thousands of years. Dharma is a Sanskrit word that has no real literal translation in English. Put simply, dharma is the way you were meant to live. It is your own personal flow of life that you must find along your way. You can think of it like this if it helps: it is the internal knowing that an artist must create or the musician must play music or the athletic must perform their sport to feel alive. It is your own path that connects you with who you were meant to be in life.
The divine inside
We are each born with certain talents or gifts. When we utilize these talents, we are connecting to the divine inside of ourselves. This concept is easy to see when we listen to the child prodigy as he glides his nimble fingers across the keys of a baby grand or when we watch the young man as he is drafted early into the big leagues. But what about the rest of us? We have our own set of talents, as well. Why is it then that we have not experienced the ultimate benefits of our own gifts or dharma? How is it that we worked hard but still harbor feelings of lack in our own careers?
One of the main purposes for humans here on this Earth is to reconnect to your higher self. This goes for everything you do. Since you are at your job for such a long period of your life this is one of the main areas where you must begin to connect with your life’s purpose to experience true fulfillment. Think about this for a moment: If you get up every morning and go to a job that leaves you feeling dissatisfied, it slowly drains your spirit and takes away from your motivation. This is because you are going against what you are meant to do in life. But if you are in a career that matches your own dharma, then you will be feeding your inner essence while discovering more satisfaction and, as a direct result, you will reach points you never dreamed possible.
To go one step further, when you connect to your own divinity and use your talents to serve humanity you experience true joy and fulfillment because you are connecting with your true purpose and simultaneously lifting others in the process. The key here is when you are using your talents you are connecting deep inside, tapping into a strength that is much bigger than yourself. This is where you allow your spirit to take over and the process of life to unfold. By reaching this deeper level of connection, you are tapping into your higher self and as a result will encounter personal fulfillment in the task at hand. So while it was important to look at areas of study you excelled in, you must go one step further and look at your natural passions and talents as well.
Inner divinity
So how do you discover your own personal dharma? You have already felt glimpses of it in your life whether you have realized it or not. The times that you have felt inspired you were connecting with your inner divinity. After all, the word inspired comes from being in spirit. Or when you have blissfully lost track of time while performing a particular task, you have been connected to your dharma. Ask yourself what are your passions in life and how do you make use of your talents to fulfill this part of yourself? Clear your mind, allowing the clutter of fear and negativity to be released. For only with clarity can you begin to see your true essence.
Be your own coach. If failure was not an option, what would you do? Ask yourself what would it take for me to do what is more meaningful to me? Take an inventory of your talents and passions and then ask yourself, “How can I begin to implement my talents in my current career to make it more fulfilling?”
Finding your dharma is the missing link to complete fulfillment in the workplace. It is what will take you to the highest level and leave you feeling alive and inspired to reach beyond your dreams.
