Guest Post by Sylvia Ng.
“Each of us has a gift, and we are meant to discover it and share it with the world.” – Arawme
If you are reading this, you will probably know what I mean.
Or perhaps, you’ve noticed the nudges, the synchronicity, the signs or curiosity around what your soul purpose “could be”.
What is the life you truly desire? Do you believe you hold an inherent purpose and gift in this present physical life?
I do— because your gifts never forget you.
YOUR SWADHARMA
Many of us spend years completely unaware of our soul purpose or our soul gifts. We go to school (for those who are fortunate to), we go to university, we get a job, we do traditional work, we travel, we fall in love, we make money, we lose money and the list goes on. We see the same in our peers, our parents and for the most part, these timelines exist within ourselves as well.
In yogic wisdom, swardharma refers to your personal, higher purpose. It’s the source of your greatest Ananda, also known as your deepest pleasure or bliss. Your purpose does not feel dull, exhaustible, or difficult. Rather, you carry a profound pleasure when you are living in its light.
The traditional style of work is something that feels just like a job and you may feel depleted after doing it. But when grounded from your swabhav and working from there, it almost feels like you are plugged into an inexhaustible source of energy and doing it even energizes you.
What work in your life thus far felt like “traditional work” and what work in your life felt like your swadharma? What’s your bliss? What is your Ananda and how can you get in touch with it?
Stepping into your soul purpose is not one without challenges, it involves great inner work, courage and listening very attentively to your inner guidance (intuition). But I promise you, once you claim your soul purpose and live a life in your inherent truth and alignment— you become the unstoppable. An empowered version of yourself arises from within.
Read on for 3 simple steps for discovering your soul purpose.
EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF YOUR GIFTS
It’s no accident that what you have been through in your soul journey thus far including reading this article, is a coincidence.
Your soul consciousness chose this. The below diagram outlines the sweet spot, where the four quadrants meet and align with your soul purpose.
Image from: Arawme
Start by exploring all the knowledge and skills you have gained through your education, training and life experiences. There is a reason why you have been educated in a specific field instead of the other and gone through specific life experiences unlike others. They hold subtle clues to the building block of who you truly are.
Next, consider what your innate gifts might be. Think about what others might see in you. Ask a few close confidantes about what they are naturally drawn to in you. Or when they think of your unique talents and abilities what comes to mind? Explore what they come to you for advice about. What about you makes them feel comfortable in your presence?
It could be anything from your music, your ability to think rationally, your compassion, your financial expertise, your confidence or your innate strength. Our gifts are shaped not directly because of our life experience, but what is innate within our being.
You my darling, have something that flows naturally and fluidly within you, that comes with little effort — and that is your gift.
Now think about what you would choose to do if you had all the money, support, inspiration, time and resources you needed. Where would you be if all your present responsibilities and duties ceased to exist? What would you choose to do with your precious life? If you look a little deeper you will find the answers to these questions within.
And finally, take a look at the missing pieces/gaps in the outer world. Hold a deeper lens and look at your family, your friends, your community, your country and even the world. What is needed in the world at this time?
Do you hold desires deep within you, a calling to make a difference in the world?
UNDERSTANDING THE HIGHER SELF
“The higher self is whispering to you softly in the silence between your thoughts.” – Deepak Chopra
Our higher self is not a separate entity, it’s a part of us. It’s the knowing or awakened aspects of ourselves. Your deepest truths and hidden wisdom are accessed through connecting with your higher self.
Unlike the ego, your higher self holds no space for prejudice, jealousy or judgments. Your higher self is caring, patient, compassionate, nurturing, loving and wise. A part of you that holds the truth about your talents, gifts and abilities, it is fully supportive.
Your higher self is always available for you to tap into and align with. It’s your invisible and formidable partner in life. When we learn to acknowledge and build a relationship with our higher self, we align with our personal truth and authenticity.
In the “Higher-Self Dialogue” practice, we learn to navigate our higher purpose through a combination of deep meditation, automatic writing, inner child work and other psycho-spiritual tools to access our wisdom and deeper knowing.
Exploring the “Higher-Self Dialogue” consists of three steps:
1. Opening Your Heart to embody the Inner Child
2. Opening the Mind to access The Higher Self
3. Integrating and Accepting Your Power Symbol and Personal Myth
1. OPENING YOUR HEART AND EMBODYING THE INNER CHILD
Begin by creating a sacred space for this practice. Find a quiet and comfortable place, you may wish to smudge your room with palo santo/sage. Light some candles and/or put on solfeggio frequencies music. The goal of your sacred space is to feel as relaxed as possible.
Close your eyes and focus on your breath for a few moments.
Bring to mind your inner child self. Journey to the young version of yourself, around 5-6 years old. Recall the first time your inner child felt fear, insecurity, judgment, confusion or loss. See your inner child in front of you, staring back at you, honor him/her in all their emotions.
Just as a parent would, gently hold and place your hands over your inner child and give him/her a loving embrace.
Visualise protective, white light surrounding you both, as you hold your inner child. Send a deep metta (lovingkindness) to your inner child. “May you be safe, may you be healthy, may you be happy and may you live your life with ease.”
Visualise the deepest harmonious energy from both your inner child and your adult self. Breathe deeply and reconcile the childlike curiosity, playfulness and joy that you may have forgotten. Tap into the creative source of adventure and play which your inner child is here to remind you of and know that this awareness is always accessible to you.
Ask if your inner child had any wisdom to share and listen with loving kindness.
From this place of integration, take a blank piece of paper and draw the higher purpose diagram and start channeling your answer to each aspect. Allow the insight to flow fluidly without expectations and judgments. Articulate with clarity the key question presented – what is my higher purpose?
2. OPENING THE MIND AND ACCESSING THE HIGHER SELF
Once you have clearly articulated your key question around the higher purpose diagram, it’s time to connect with your higher self.
Visualize a beam of white light cascading into you. Call upon the wisdom of your higher self as you feel supportive energy surrounding you. The higher consciousness brings profound wisdom, clarity, truth, love, understanding and compassion.
Visualize you as your higher self.
With deep wisdom and your highest power, visualize a stream of consciousness channeling through you as you let it flow to your ego-self. Allow yourself to be a receptive, non-judgmental and open container. Allow any words to flow through you as you communicate with your higher self.
Once you tap into the stream of consciousness flowing through you, gently sit down with a piece of blank paper and start automatic writing.
Write anything and everything that comes to you and allow clarity to flow and emerge through your words. Following the “My Higher Purpose” diagram.
Let go of your mind’s need for control and allow your intuition to unfold.
3. INTEGRATING AND ACCEPTING YOUR POWER SYMBOL AND PERSONAL MYTH
You may wish to lay in your bed or somewhere comfortable for this visualization exercise.
Read the exercise below and then embark on an inner journey.
Power Symbol Visualization
Close your eyes and take a moment to relax.
Imagine that you are walking in a beautiful forest with perfect blue skies and the sounds of birds chirping around you. Notice the fragrances in the air as you hear the sound of the river flowing while you walk along a nature trail.
As you follow the tail into the forest, you notice the foliage and bushes getting thicker and darker, you feel safe and supported as you keep walking.
You sense that something magical and powerful is awaiting you in the forest. You feel excitement and joy.
With beautiful sunlight surrounding you, ahead you notice a large mirror with a white veil over it.
With a deep breath, you remove the veil. You gaze into the mirror; it’s reflecting your truest and purest self.
From the other side of the mirror, you notice someone/something approaching you. A symbol, which you come to recognize as the unique symbol of your power.
Take a moment to explore, what is it? Who is it?
You notice a powerful light energy radiating out of this object or being – calling you to acknowledge and receive it.
The moment you hold it in your hands, you immediately feel a profound sensation as your body starts lighting up. You embody the message “I am this, I am this, I am this.”
This power symbol is uniquely yours. You hold it in your hand and notice its shape, texture, and patterns. Spend some time sitting with your symbol and identifying its nature.
When you are ready, come out of your meditation and with a black piece of paper, and pen, create your power symbol the way you remember it.
Activate your imagination and intuition to draw/sketch it. Feel it in your body as you express it, begin to embody the object.
Reflect on ways you can cultivate and tap into your presence, power and pleasure in your daily life.
Intuitive Story Telling Exercise
After completing your soul purpose journey, you might want to explore what came through using intuitive story telling. Tell your unique story in third person, drawing inspirations from the earlier practices and led by your intuition, answer the following questions:
Who is she/he?
What is the unique gift that empowers him/her?
Where is he/she going?
What is the higher purpose that energizes him/her?
What is getting in him/her way?
Are there any obstacles does he/she need to overcome?
How will he/she get there?
What resources/inspiration can he/she draw upon from?
THE ANSWER ARE WITHIN
The truth is all the answers we are searching for already exist within. We spend so much time ignoring our soul purpose or searching for it externally instead of looking for it within.
The wisdom and guidance are already there, we just need to tap into it and trust ourselves.
The “Higher-Self Dialogue” practice is a structured approach conceived by Nilma Bhat and Raj Sisodia of Shakti Leadership: Embracing Masculine & Feminine Power In Business. I highly recommend a deeper read into it if you feel called to.
When you are in touch with your unique gifts and your higher self and purpose, you realise you are here to help the world and touch the lives of others. By sharing your gifts, you help others find this spark that they have long forgotten in themselves.
Each of us holds a higher purpose when we incarnate on this Earth, our job is to rediscover it and share our medicine with the world.
Feel free to comment below on how these practices helped you. A huge hug your way dear one.
Guest post written by Sylvia Ng, the pen and muse of Arawme
Arawme is dedicated to support anyone on the journey of remembrance, of cultivating your authenticity and aligning your life with your values and your truth. Her mission is to guide you to remember. She shares intuitive and mindful posts intertwining personal growth and spirituality, infusing astrology, human design and kundalini insights. Feel free to check her out here or nourish yourself with a free downloadable toolkit for getting clarity and navigating your true embodiment of self-love.
Want to discover how to enhance your life with joy, intuition and creativity? These are the keys to help you align with your soul purpose. Join my Facebook group – Intuitive Creative Mastery – Awaken Your Inner Genius, a fun and supportive community where I share my teachings, insights, workshops and healing offerings to help you truly embody an intuitive, creative and joyful life.