Ignoring your passion is slow suicide.
Never ignore what your heart pumps for.
(Unknown)
It was a summer when the boys were still quite young and my sister-in law was staying with us over the summer to help us out. At the end of her stay there was a foul mood in the house. We were all tired of each other. I remember a car ride we took together to Boston and somehow we got in an argument. I can’t even remember what started it and what it was about but somehow there was an explosion in the car, a thundering lightening bolt so to speak. We were both screaming, I was banging the steering wheel in frustration and my wife who hates conflicts was just looking helplessly at the two of us. It was the first time that I ever experienced that thunder-bolt like that. I was discharging stale energy. The fight wasn’t about my sister-in-law at all, and I can’t even remember what the fight was about. After a few minutes of screaming and banging the steering wheel it was simply gone and the sun started shining again. What I do remember about the argument though, my sister-in-law accused me of being out of touch with my passions and she was absolutely right.
My spiritual journey had started in earnest but at work I was not as effective as I could have been. I was doodling around, following my own research which was out of touch with what my constituents wanted from me. The irony was that this fight was just around when my life took off in all directions so my sister-in-law just caught me when old stale energy wanted to exit my system. In the spiritual realm, I met my spiritual partner who jump-started my transformation by showing me that I am not my mind. Professionally, everything started to come together out of a sudden. My line of research suddenly became cool and I spent as much time developing my own voice as an investor as building a research platform of collaboration and team work within my group.
A spiritual transformation is just like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly, there is a period of rest, listlessness and apparent stagnation. I often hear people complaining how they struggle professionally and economically because of this lack of focus and direction. I always give the same advice, reconnect with your passions but also don’t forget about your talents. The spiritual purpose and professional calling will find you, and you don’t have to worry about money either. In my case, the timing of my break-through was very interesting. While my spiritual maturity started taking off and I was even given a great opportunity to express it professionally in a very competitive work place by building a platform of mutual trust and cooperation, it was also the time when I went I could express my own competitive juices as an investor which few would consider very spiritual. Yet, that’s was were my passions were hiding.
We get this question often, ‘I don’t feel satisfied with my work, and I don’t have much money either. Should I quit everything and follow my passions?’ Well, I don’t know, but I am reminded of what my astrologer said when I posed the same question, asking whether it was time for me to embrace my calling as author, educator and spiritual coach. She said, ‘you know when the time is ripe. You just know it.’ She was right. A couple of years later I quit my profession of 22 years and launched my spiritual endeavor instead. There are really four considerations at work, do that what you love doing, that which you are good at, that which you can be paid for and that what the world needs.’ We had two young kids when my Awakening started. I had bills to pay, and that’s why I stayed at my job and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Yet, recently I had a long conversation with a good friend who did exactly the opposite. With two little kids to look our for he decided to leave his established profession and become a life coach full time. Good for him. There is obviously no right or wrong, there is only the path that works for you. Earning a livelihood is important, but always keep an eye out what makes you come alive.
Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go for it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
(Howard Thurman)
At the firm I used to work for, my colleagues never talked much about what would be next in store for them after retirement. Maybe it was because they already had put their hearts and souls into their life-work so that it was hard for them to imagine what else there could be, or maybe it was because some of them had become so rich that they were looking forward to finally spending it. Whatever the reason was, the standard response at the farewell party was, “first I take six months off and then we’ll see.” One colleague was different though, he only smiled knowingly when I asked him what would be next for him, but he didn’t tell me either; apparently he was too embarrassed. Later over dinner, however, he mustered his boldness and revealed to everyone that he would become a painter. The room was stunned.
The wife of a friend is an art curator. She had a look at his first paining and later said in private, ‘this painting is so bad, it is almost good!’ Well, the newly minted painter couldn’t be discouraged by the naysayers. He took classes, learned some new techniques, and experimented with them. He kept going no matter what the critics said. Years later I met someone who had seen his more recent paintings and remarked that they were quite good. The art curator also had a look at his paintings in later years. She mused that in fact there was something refreshing about his first painting that the acquired technique in later years took a little away from the original boldness. Still, she also admitted that his paintings had gotten much better over the years. So like my impressive colleague beforehand, if you feel that you have something important to share, do it!
We function just an iceberg. We think we know what we want but this is only 10 percent of our being. Deep down there is stuff waiting to come to the surface that we know little about. Amazingly, it is 90 percent of our being and we have to be humble enough to listen to its message, as well as skilled enough to let it rise out of the depth of our being. Don’t worry, life will be happy enough to introduce your true being to you. Follow your passions. Focus on what makes you tick but don’t neglect what you are good at either. You were given these talents for the reason to express yourself creatively and passionately. I thank my sister-in-law to this day for giving me this kick in my back-side when I had reached a low-point in my career and life-journey. It jump-started an amazing professional ride.
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