What’s your dharma?

Have you ever thought about what your unique talent is? There is something that you do better than anyone else - it’s your purpose for being, it’s your dharma.

If this sounds a bit “out there” please allow me to sound a little metaphysical for a moment, I promise I’ll make a point. Dharma is the law of “being”; defined broadly as the fulfillment of an inherent nature or destiny. To “follow dharma” means to act in accordance with divine law.

I like the way writer Deepak Chopra puts it; “When you blend your unique talent with service to others, you experience the ecstasy and exultation of your own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals!”

So when you know you’re living and working in accordance with your dharma, you’re in harmony. I think that means that understanding what your dharma is, is an important step in growth and development.

If you don’t know what your dharma is, how do you find it?

If we use Deepak’s definition above then we need to define what our unique talent is, that we can use to be of service to others.

Here are some questions you can use to begin to outline this for yourself:

1) If you were completely financially independent - if you had ten million dollars in cash - what would you do? What would you get out of bed for in the morning? What would you pay to be able to do? Write down your answers until you start coming up with things that don’t feel “true” to yourself.

2) What hobby totally holds your attention? What do you do that causes you to completely lose track of time? Watching television doesn’t count! Write a paragraph or two about your favorite hobby or activity - detail counts here so feel free to make it as detailed as possible.

3) How could you transform what you’ve written above to be in the service of other people? List some different ways you can incorporate helping others into what you’ve already listed.

For example, one of my passions is photography - it’s one of the things I would pay other people to let me do. When I’m working on a photography project I often lose track of time. I love to help someone visualize a photo, work with them to create the picture, and then see the look on their face when I deliver the final image and it’s exactly what they wanted. I think I get a bigger charge out of seeing them happy with the final image than they do.

These are ways to know your working to your dharma. You’re easily in “the zone” and time is slipping away more quickly than it seems possible. You’re not only feeling powerful and excited and energetic for yourself, but you’re helping other people - providing a service.

You’re creating a positive energy flow around yourself. This positive energy flow creates affluence for yourself. Most people associate affluence with having money and wealth, but affluence literally means “a plentiful flow”.

When you are working to your dharma, positive energy is flowing out from you and positive energy will also begin to flow in to you. You’re creating affluence for yourself and you will eventually be rewarded for your affluence of positive energy.

It’s not an easy task to determine what your dharma is. I have thought and reflected and journaled on this very topic for years, and I still encounter new things that change my perceptions of what my dharma might be. However the struggle to answer this question for yourself will be rewarded with amazing amounts of positive energy and personal growth.

It’s well worth investing the time to answer this question for yourself; what is your dharma?

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Here are some related articles you might also enjoy!

• What’s coming in your future? Part 2
• Are limiting beliefs holding you back?
• What’s coming in your future?
• What’s your personal mission statement?

December 23rd, 2005

Entry Filed under: Passion, Inspiration, Purpose