Unless you were born with a golden spoon in your mouth, one of the crucial choices that anyone makes is how to make a living in the world. Will he choose a career in government service or work in the private sector? Should he go into business? Should he pursue the arts?
An accurate assessment of one’s talents, gifts, skills, training and calling will help him make the right choice. It also helps if there are role models in the immediate orbit of one’s life. Consider too that for many, there is a calling from God. You may be one of God’s anointed ones.
Money will always be a major consideration. However, “psychic income” must be given weight as well. Both types of income” are essential, if life is not to permanently assume the gray pallor of just going through the motions or of simply making a living.
Visualize a worthwhile, meaningful life that is soul satisfying. Simply put, psychic reward is your soul’s fulfillment. The question is: are you doing what you were born and meant to do? If you are, then work is no longer work and every moment of every day holds the potential for joy.
You begin to discover the sacred in the ordinary. The connections snap into place. Just imagine waking up thankful to your Maker for the amazing privilege of doing what it is you do every single day of your life.
If you notice yourself singing or humming while you do the work that earns you money that allows you to live the life you love, consider yourself one of the blessed ones who are living the life they were meant to live. You are not only lucky, you are blessed.
On the other hand, if you drag yourself up and pop a pill to numb some kind of pain that won’t go away everyday at work and long for the end of the day on the first hour, quickly plan to heave yourself out of that sinkhole. Plan the great escape and find the work that blesses you within as it blesses you with the physical needs of your life.
Even if we live to be a hundred, life is still much too short. Such a waste of time is unconscionable. To spend time on something that prevents you from living your life to its full measure of possibilities is a grievous offense to yourself that must be boldly and courageously addressed.
What is your native soil? By “native soil”, I don’t mean your country of origin. I am referring to the soil of native abilities and talents that you were born with and the circumstances that you grew up with that is leading you to what you were meant to do and what you have come to be.
In gardening, the success of growing plants depend on many factors such as the weather, water, temperature, the amount of sun and many others. But the biggest factor in finding out whether a plant will survive or not depends on the soil ph—whether the soil is alkaline or basic.
A gardener worth his salt, finds out first with a soil test kit or simply observes the varieties of plants that already survive and thrive in a patch of soil before planting his seeds, cuttings and bulbs, watering and fertilizing them and spending copious amounts of time tending to his plants from one season to the next.
In some ways, the same is true of human beings. What is your native soil? What are your native abilities? Where is it that you are happiest with? What is it that you do that seems to make time stand still? What is it that you can do that can be parlayed into something that earns you a living yet at the same time, stirs the passion and ignites and sustains a lifelong commitment in you like nothing else can?
Let the your answers to these questions be like the true north that guides you unerringly to where you are meant to be and what essentially you are to do to live a truly meaningful life.
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
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Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya writes for Asian Journal Publications, Inc. Her opinions are her own. To send comments, e-mail [email protected].
