How do I find out what is my true calling in life? I think that I will be succesful when I find this and follow it. Someone else told me I should just try lots of things and have small successes and then I will find out. I just feel sluggish. Every day I feel that I begin again at the fotthill of the mountain Can you offer some advice? TY
—maia, usa
Dear Maia,
I wouldn’t try a lot of things to find out your calling. There are better ways.
First of all, it is good that you say “I will be successful,” because without that thought success is impossible. Don’t lose that conviction, but strengthen it in every possible way.
What is your calling? Calling in India is called “dharma.” There is universal dharma and individual dharma. Universal dharma is the same for everyone: the calling to grow inwardly toward God. So whatever you decide to do, that universal dharma should be an important element in your life.
The more difficult question is to understand your individual dharma (right action), your personal calling. “Calling” is a good name for it, as it implies that there is someone who is doing that calling. It’s true. That someone is God. Christians call dharma “the will of God” for you. So the trick for you is to hear what He is calling.
Here is how you do it: meditate every day, and try to get still. In that stillness lift your eyes and think of God in any way that is meaningful to you. If “God” is not a concept which appeals to you, think of superconsciousness. Establish an inner contact. Look at the spiritual eye and ask, “What do you want me to do with my life?” Then after some time place your awareness in the heart and feel. The answer to your sincere prayer-question might not come immediately in meditation, but might come to you in many other ways: by something someone says, something you hear or read, or through a thought popping up in your mind.
Or try the same technique more specifically: meditate, get still, look upwards toward God, establish a connection. Then, toward the end of meditation, visualize yourself in the spiritual eye following a specific calling, doing a specific work. Then ask, “Is this right?” After some time place your awareness in the heart and see if it feels right or not. Then repeat, visualizing yourself in the spiritual eye following another calling. Again ask and feel in the heart. Do that sincerely for some time. You’ll get the right feeling, your answer.
However, you can never be 100% sure if you decided the right thing (only presumptuous persons are 100% sure). But at a certain point you simply have to decide. Being undecided for too long, doing nothing, will increase the sluggishness. And once you decide give it your all. Throw yourself fully into it. Overcome any lingering sluggishness. You scale that mountain with all your strength.
Also remember: spiritually speaking, yes, it is important to follow one’s calling, but even more important is how you follow it: which attitudes and qualities you work; what you become doing it; with how you develop inwardly, as a person. Correct attitude in whatever we do is the bases of happiness and inner fulfillment, as well as the bases for spiritual unfoldment.
God bless you in your calling, and in hearing the Calling,
Jayadev
