What Is Your Heart Calling You To Do?

I went to a university where most of the students majored in pre-medical studies, which is the major you would choose if you want to be a doctor.   I use to often think that I should’ve studied to become a medical doctor instead of the major I chose.  The funny thing about having this recurring thought is that I cringe at the sight of blood, I am too squeamish to assist someone with a broken bone or joint out of place, and I’m uncomfortable at the thought of being around multiple people who are sick.  From the sound of things, I am the LAST person who should consider becoming a doctor, but I couldn’t stop the recurring thoughts that somehow I missed my true calling of becoming a doctor.

Since this thought continued to haunt me, I decided to really analyze what was drawing me to that profession.  I used a lot of different methods to determine my true heart’s desire and to figure out why I felt like my calling was to be a doctor.  It all boiled down to my perception of what a doctor does.  My perception was that doctors make a huge impact on people’s lives, and that they often leave people in a better state than before they met.  This was the root of my heart’s desire, I did not really want to become a doctor, but I did want to impact people’s lives and I wanted to leave people in a better state than they were in prior to our encounter.  Once I discovered this, I was no longer subjected to the nagging thought about becoming a doctor.   In fact, discovering this opened my mind to the limitless possibilities of how I could accomplish this.  Before discovery, my mind was stuck and bound with only one way to live out my dream, becoming a doctor, when in fact there are endless possibilities for accomplishing what my heart TRULY desires.

Have you figured out what your heart truly wants?  There are several exercises you can do to help you figure this out.

1. One popular method is to take out a piece of paper and find a space where you will not have any distractions and simply ask yourself, “what is my purpose” or “what is my higher calling” and write down the response.  Ask yourself this over and over again, and write down you answer each time.  The true answer will usually come sometime after the 30th time of answering this question or even the 60th time of answering this question.  How will you know when true heart’s desire has been unveiled?  It will be followed by a strong move of emotions.  It is not uncommon for a person to cry after discovery.
    
2. Another popular method is to examine the common theme that has been present throughout your life. For example, if throughout your life you notice that you always seem to be in a situation where you are giving people advice, perhaps you have a higher calling of offering insights into people’s lives or imparting wisdom into others.  If you find that you have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and you read everything you can get your hands on, perhaps you have a higher calling of obtaining knowledge to teach others.  Each scenario will be different.  It is important to write down the common theme running through your life and explore the meaning of that theme as it pertains to your wants and desires.
    
3. Chances are you are already operating in your purpose without even realizing it. Another method is to poll a number of people close to you and ask them a series of questions about you, like what you’re naturally good at, how you have touched their life, what they think your higher calling is, etc.  Take notes.  After you’ve asked at least 10 people, compile the information and look for common themes among the responses and use the information to help you narrow down your purpose.
    
4. Try an exercise that required tapping into your imaginative side. There are several to choose from, but here are three to start with:

• Imagine money was not a factor and you could do anything you wanted, what would you be doing from day to day?

• If you found out that you only had 12 months to live and do everything you wanted to do, aside from travelling to see the world and visiting loved ones, what would you do with your life for that 12 month period?

• If you could write your own eulogy, what things would you like said about you, your life, and what you accomplished during your lifetime?

5.  Write down activities that energize you and where you lose all track of time. Even when you are tired, your heart’s true desire will light you on fire and give you energy and make you feel ready to jump out of your chair to accomplish tasks.  Time will also seem to fly by.  Look for the common theme in your list.

It’s never too late to discover your true calling.  You deserve to know what feeds your soul.  You may need to combine several of these exercises to narrow it down.  All you need to do is invest the time to discover your truth. 

Happy discovery!