Just like last month—and like many months over the last seven years—an article in this month’s issue has me thinking. Sandra Yeyati’s Stephen Cope on Finding Your Calling got my attention with the title. I’ve been feeling for a while that I’m not fully realizing my calling. Part of the issue may be my understanding of the term. Without realizing it, I’ve defined “calling” as “job,” and while I really like my job, I still suspect there’s more for me to do. As Cope explains, in Vedic tradition, the god Indra cast a net over the universe, and at each vertex there’s a gem that represents an individual soul “whose job is to hold together the net at that point.” All of us have a piece of the net to hold together. The implication to me is that you do a better job holding your part of the net together by finding and living your calling.

Cope suggests three questions to ask yourself when seeking your life’s purpose, and it’s the last one that fascinates me: “What problems or difficulties are you facing in your life right now?” By investigating your difficulties, you may discover your dharma. I’ve noticed that some of the difficulties that have popped up in my life over time are connected by a thread. They’re not the same difficulty, but one I’m experiencing now might be similar in nature to one I experienced 20 years ago and again 10 years ago. Like many people, I prefer to avoid difficulties and move on instead. But I do wonder if having some curiosity and taking a deeper look would lead to some of the answers I’ve been seeking.  

Food for thought during this back-to-school season.

Wishing you success in holding your part of the net together this September,

Shannon