“As I become who I am meant to be, what I am meant to do will fall like a path of roses before me. And talents I don’t even know that I have, that lie latent within me, will emerge as I surrender more deeply to love.” – Marianne Williamson
Wow! This is such a powerful and true statement. It pretty much sums up my personal journey over the last couple of years. When I first got the feeling that something was amiss in my life and my career, I remember thinking, what will I do? What jobs could I possibly find after being in the same field for so many years? My panic around leaving my job didn’t center around personal or spiritual growth, though truth be told, that was already happening as well, it was focused on my occupation. My focus was on my J.O.B, which at the time I was confusing with my calling. I now realize that they are two completely different things. But, back to 2013…. When I saw the advertisement on one of my favorite blogs for a one-week retreat in Maui, I was intrigued. When I saw that one of the topics we would be covering was discovering your purpose, I was sold! I thought, yes, someone could help me define what I am meant to do. I fully expected to come home knowing exactly what job I could find that would allow me to leave my current position. Well, as I am sure you have already figured out, that isn’t how it went. We did do work centered around purpose in Maui. The difference was, the purpose we were exploring ran much deeper than my J.O.B. It was about our soul’s purpose. It was about what Caroline Myss would call our "soul’s contract". I soon realized that defining who I was meant to be, not what I am meant to do was the first and most important step. What I left Maui knowing was that my purpose revolved around connecting with myself and my higher power and embracing the love and gratitude that resulted from that. And then, most importantly, sharing that love and gratitude with others. (Thank you so much Mastin Kipp)
Yikes! Seems pretty vague, huh? Oh and the other not so concrete tidbit I came home with was that whenever I got quite through yoga or meditation, I would get a nudge from heart, intuition and/or God that I should write a book. This from someone who had never really enjoyed writing and was, frankly, terrified of it. This was not really the concrete, this is the job for you, answer I was looking for. However, as I have learned to use my purpose statement as a guide for making decisions, I have learned that it is not about the actual J.O.B. It is about whether what I am doing is in line with who I am meant to be. In my case, a healer, a light worker and someone who his deeply connected with myself and others. As I have let go of the idea that my work defines me and embraced the idea that I get to define my life’s work, things have shifted immensely. Just as Marianne Williamson so brilliantly pointed out, as I have discovered who I am meant to BE, it has become much easier and less draining to forge a new career path. Actually, career is not really the best term. It is more aptly titled my path to service and expression of my soul’s contract. Remember when I said I kept getting a nudge to write a book? Well, I have not started my book yet, but as you can see, I am writing and sharing my journey with all of you. “Talents I don’t even know lie latent within me will emerge as I surrender more deeply to love”. – Marianne Williamson. I am seeing the truth in this with my own experience. My blog and coaching business have ignited a creative side that I have for my whole life assumed was non-existent.
You might be asking why I have felt the need to babble on to you about my own journey. My intention in sharing my story is to peak your curiosity, to inspire you to take a look at your own experience. Have you been confusing your J.O.B with your purpose? Have you come to define who you are by your occupations or your roles? If the answer to either of these is yes, I encourage, no I implore you, to do some digging on your own. What might be your sacred contract? Are you a healer? Are you an artist? Are you a change agent? There are so many reasons for our being here. What I had to come face-to-face with was this: Is my J.O.B in line with who I am meant to be? That’s a big one! It’s scary to think about what the next step might be. I know it was for me. But, I believe these are some of the questions worth asking and exploring. I would love to hear what discoveries you make and what your next actions step is. Share your journey in the comments below.
Much love - Angie