HOW CAN I FIND MY SOUL’S PURPOSE?

I lived with this question for years, though I didn’t realize I was asking it. Later, in my studies of transformational tools and principles, I was told that “Something unique wants to express itself through you; something that only you can give birth to.” I thought this was, at best, a nice sentiment. It was very egalitarian, leaving no one out and making everyone special. But I had also heard the phrase often enough, expressed somewhat less loftily: You are special. There is no one like you. By the time I heard it again, I was already seriously inured to it and perhaps even somewhat cynical. Of course, we’re unique; who isn’t? And that’s where, for me, the whole concept of personal uniqueness distilled into something without much meaning.

For quite a while, I succumbed to the enervating idea that uniqueness, in and of itself, isn’t unique. Since we are all uniquely distinguished from each other, what’s the big deal? You’re tall; I’m short. You’re muscular; I lack definition. You have red hair; I have black hair. Your eyes are green, and mine are brown. You excel at tennis, but I can sing. You’re great at math, and I write more clearly than you. What’s to get excited about? Now, if you’re handy, I’m feeling a bit of excitement. But I digress.

At some point, it occurred to me that I had been looking in the wrong direction, clinging to the wrong idea, and being stubbornly myopic. I decided to challenge my habitual perception of uniqueness by shifting my stance that uniqueness is a common attribute with no benefits. Breaking from my earlier jadedness, I asked: What exactly makes each of us unique? In no time, a realization asserted itself with incontrovertible clarity: It is our soul’s longing and the agenda contained in that longing that lead us to our purpose. Our specific longings show us the paths we need to take and who we can become. So what makes us unique? What makes us who we are?

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV. 4.5 tells us that our deep, driving desire is:

You are what your deep, driving desire is.
As your desire is, so is your will.
As your will is, so is your deed.
As your deed is, so is your destiny.

Here is the beginning of discovering your soul’s purpose: identifying your deeper truths through your deepest desires. Our uniqueness and destiny lie in our desires and in what awakens our passion. When we act on these unique desires, we are compelled to seek what is right for us, which in turn nourishes us. Following true desires attracts what we need to become who we are meant to be. Ultimately, by honoring our soul’s longing, we express our purpose and find fulfillment.

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