Your Career, Your Purpose, and Your Spiritual Path
Written by Michael Roland, L.Ac., MTCM
"Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart." When Jalal al din Rumi wrote those words in thirteenth century Persia it is unlikely that he had any idea of the vast array of career and life choices available to a twenty-first century human being. With the staggering number of career possibilities and life paths available to each of us, how do you know what is truly right for you?
My work with clients, in the spiritual realm, has given me a unique perspective on career, purpose, and spiritual path. We are all blessed with free will and the ability to decide things for ourselves. This gives us ample opportunity to follow our desires for career, to make decisions about pursuing our life's purpose. The difference between fulfilling a purpose and fulfilling a desire is: Fulfilling your desire serves you. Fulfilling your purpose serves all, including yourself. One of the keys to happiness is learning to align your desires with your purpose. So far, so good, but you can read this same idea in a thousand self-help books. What about my unique perspective?
The ability of being able to look into another's spiritual energy system has given me a few insights I wouldn't have had otherwise:
There is spiritual energy available to help you fulfill your life's purpose. That means if your career choice is in line with your purpose, the spiritual energy will be there to help you succeed. You can tap into this energy only when you are on the path of your purpose (but, not before).
You have a positive effect on other people and even other spirits when you are fulfilling purpose.
Not all of your desires coincide with your life's purpose, sad but true. Get over it and get on with it. The clock is ticking on your temporal existence.
When you insist on pursuing your desires over your purpose, you end up causing misery for yourself and others, even if you have the outward appearance of success.
Most people have one or a few specific purposes to fulfill not hundreds or thousands, so your real options may be fewer than you think.
You have been or will be lead to your purpose. In fact if you're not already on it, you have likely considered it, if not acted on it in the past. Because, like Rumi wrote, somewhere within your heart is the desire to serve your true purpose.
When you are fulfilling your purpose, you are on your spiritual path. Church, religion, and prayer optional.
A happy career is one that is aligned with true purpose and therefore is congruent with your spiritual path.
It always gives me a great feeling when I am able to help someone identify their purpose and get onto their life path or career path. It's one of those good for me, good for you things. Maybe it's part of my purpose?
Article author
About the Author
Michael Roland received his Masters degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1993. He worked in Dr. Andrew Weil's Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, from 1997 to 2006, as clinician, preceptor, editor and consultant. Michael has written protocols for a studying the effects of Chinese medicine on heart transplant patients for the National Institutes of Health in the United States.
He has also taught clinical practices courses at the Arizona School for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Under his appointment as Clinical Lecturer at the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, he has participated in multidisciplinary training sessions for third and fourth year medical students. Michael has studied under recognized masters in Beijing, PRC and Taiwan.
Michael now practices his disciplines in a remote healing format with clients from around the world. www.MichaelRoland.com
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