The Anatomy of Your Soul Purpose

This week, my baby boy turned thirteen and we celebrated with his school formal to welcome his teenage years. I couldn’t have been more proud to see my son accepting his certificate. My mind did a quantum leap back in time to the day of his birth which coincided with my twenty-eighth birthday. I had mentally calculated some of my more significant birthdays to coincide with his significant milestones. It’s incredible that thirteen years can pass so quickly.

Already, my son is showing natural talents in music. He is adept at playing Bach as well as modern classics on the piano. There is no amount of pushing required to get him to sit and practice, because the expression of music has an effortlessness to it that feeds and nourishes him. Furthermore, the instrument suits his physical constitution – long fingers and a sharp mathematical mind. Although it can be tempting to want this natural talent to be enough, I am well aware that it isn’t enough to foster Mastery. His environment needs to support his talent and discipline is a keystone to honing and mastering his talent. This means facing some challenges with grit and determination. It means practicing when you don’t feel like it sometimes. It also means putting your feelings aside at times, as every master knows.

All too often, we are told to go with our feelings. Yet, to truly make our contribution in the world, we must continue to teach, to heal, to write, to reach out even on the days that we don’t really ‘feel’ like it.

The way a soul-purpose unfolds is akin to each of the developmental milestones we bear witness to in our children. Each and every stage of life we are in, contributes to a greater understanding about who we are, what we are naturally gifted at and how we make our gifts work in the world. Raw and natural talent isn’t enough. There needs to be an exertion of intention, discipline and will to achieve mastery.

This week’s article is all about the anatomy of your soul purpose. After coaching several clients for hundreds of hours on the intricacies of finding and embracing dharma, I have come to the understanding that your unique dharma may not always be the smoothest and easiest road to take. It may take more guts, more determination and more perseverance than you bargained for. Yet, it is ultimately, the road to your greatest freedom, fulfillment, soul growth and satisfaction. It’s worth suffering for, your contribution truly is profound. Yet we can also choose not to suffer if we know who we truly are at our core.