The answers are within you
Many of us spend years trying to ‘make things happen’ in the world around us. That approach works to some extent. If you make enough effort in your studies or your job, you can usually get results. However, there are times when the linear relationship between effort and results does not apply. That includes finding a partner, a job or your next client or customer. It is entirely possible to put in enormous amounts of effort and get nowhere.
The solution is to turn inwards. You spend less time trying to fix your outer circumstances and more time working on yourself. The answers are within you. Some of us need to reach the point of exhaustion before we do this. We conclude that there has to be a better way. Fortunately there is.
The original meaning of the verb ‘to educate’ is ‘to draw out’. The educator draws out something which is already within the student. Some people are fortunate enough to discover some of their talents in this way during their studies.
Your talents point you in the direction of your purpose - the reason you are on the planet. In Brand You, David Royston-Lee and I introduce some simple exercises which help people to discover the talents they enjoy using so much that they lose track of time. As a professional psychologist, David has tested the exercises on thousands of people. They work.
Discovering your talents and your purpose is a huge step forward. It also saves a lot of time. You don’t need to apply for jobs that don’t fit who you are or where you are going. They are simply not the right vehicles for you to fulfil your purpose.
Another powerful tool for turning inwards is meditation. It helps to get rid of the chaotic thoughts and emotions known as ‘the monkey mind’. I use two techniques: mindfulness and Transcendental Meditation. Both have the effect of quieting the mind. One result is that your intuition grows stronger. Some people prefer to describe this in terms of their heart or their gut.
The point is, you have a feeling about what you should do now. That feeling is based on love, not fear. Once you focus on doing what you love – in ways that serve others – everything becomes easier. Instead of your having to find everyone, they start to find you. Once you turn inwards, your outer needs start to be met in new and exciting ways.
Text and photo copyright John Purkiss 2010. Further information on Brand You is at www.brandyou.info
