“True happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
– Helen Keller

It was Saturday afternoon on my weekly adventure at Walmart buying groceries. After I checked out and was leaving the store, I ran into a young martial arts student who used to attend my school. I asked him how and what he was doing these days.

He looked at me with a deep sigh. “I am a manager at a factory.”

“Well, good for you! I hope you enjoy working there,” I said with a smile.

Looking straight into my eyes he replied, “No, not really. I hate it. I just go to work every day, do my job and keep my mouth shut.” Dropping his head, he turned and walked away.

I stood there dumbfounded. Not even the chance to reply with encouraging advice to do something better for himself. Instead, I was left feeling the emptiness he carried inside of him.

The reality today is many people just go to work every day, do their jobs and keep their mouths shut. Like a broken record over and over again, I hear people’s stories about how miserable they are in their jobs, careers or as business owners.

But, what if you’re performing well at the job you hate? Are you successful?

What if you’re earning significant income? Does it make you happy?

What if you have power and status? Are you fulfilled and joyful?

If you are working in a job you hate, the answer is no. You are not happy. Sorry!

Truth hurts. Truth is scary. But you know what, if you are in a career you hate being unfulfilled, the truth is you are unhappy because you’re not living aligned with your soul purpose.

But, you deserve to be happy.

We all deserve to be happy finding in joy in our careers and the work we do every day. God did not create us to go to a job we hate wasting our talents becoming fractions of who we are. God created us with special gifts to serve and love others. Our gifts reflect who we are deep down inside. When we use our gifts reflecting our true nature, this creates joy and peace inspiring us to pass this light unto others and the world.

What is our soul life purpose anyway?

We are all brought on this earth with a soul purpose living true to our hearts, passions, and values. Our true self is our natural being beneath the veils of the ego existing deep in our core. But somewhere along the way, we lose our essence diminishing our life force. We choose a career because it was expected of us. We choose our friends based on other people’s choices, judgments and opinions. We pick safe hobbies only catering to what’s on the surface.

We might get involved with the wrong people or influenced by those who are not good for our life path causing us to fall off track. It’s too hard to resist their criticisms towards our desires, goals and visions. So we succumb to what others believe are right for us. We distrust our intuition for what serves us best and listen to what our logical mind tells us.

I know some might disagree or have excuses on why you can’t discover or fulfill your life purpose. But, most the time these excuses are coming from your ego, not your highest self.

• I can’t afford it
• I make too much money to leave my current position
• I’m not smart or skilled enough
• I’m too busy
• I have a family to worry about
• I’m too old, too young, too middle-aged
• It’s too much work
• It’s too hard
• I don’t deserve it
• I’m not good enough

Where do these excuses come?

• Fear
• Self-doubt
• Low self-esteem
• Narrowed perspectives
• Lack of focus
• Low energy

But, you can change that learning to listen to the voice of your true self. This voice is kind, gentle and compassionate guiding you to make choices leading you towards your purpose. You can counteract these negative emotions by switching to a positive mindset with:

• Courage
• Enthusiasm and energy
• Positive affirmations
• Self-love
• Belief in yourself
• Being open-minded
• Creating short-term and long-term goals
• Faith in God’s plan for your happiness

Stepping out onto your true path living an authentic life takes faith and courage. It requires bravery to pull off your mask showing what lies beneath. When you are authentic, you show your wrinkles, pores, blemishes and dark circles. But, you also display your natural beauty without enhancements or makeup. It’s pure freshness and raw beauty shining for all to see. No need for extra work to pretend to be someone you are not. You are free to be who you are.

When you decide to follow your soul life purpose, God will support you. Set your intentions and structure your activities, thoughts and career to your purpose. The universe will listen by sending inspirations, resources, people and opportunities to fulfill your life’s mission. You only need to believe. And if you don’t, fake it until you make it. By doing so, you’ll create the vibrational match with your intention of being aligned with your highest truth.

Today, start creating a life filled with purpose, passion and meaning. We are all meant to share our gifts to bring greater joy, peace and inspiration to ourselves and the world.

On the next blog post, I will talk about how to discover your soul life purpose. But for now, decide what you want to change to create a more meaningful and purposeful life.