by Debra Hillard
Upon meeting someone for the first time, we often ask, “What do you do?” Our response is a job title or the kind of work we do. But how often are you presented with the question “Who are you?” I’d say almost never.
Over the years, I have called myself an artist, a coach, a writer, an entrepreneur. But that doesn’t tell anyone who I really am. Doing what I do is not the key to my success at any of the roles I play. My identity does not ensure my happiness, fulfillment or appreciation from others. The most important discovery I’ve made is that who I am being in whatever role I adopt, is critical. When I am truly being myself, doing what my heart and soul lead me to do, my opportunities expand, my fulfillment is greater. I naturally draw to me all that I need to be successful. I am on my true path.
How do we know who we truly are? What our true path is? How can we know if we’re off track?
I can share from my own experience, having taken a lifelong journey to remember who I am and follow the path that I am meant to be on. It is not easy, but the rewards are enormous.
I turn to my creative work and my spiritual practice to keep connected to myself. In the past I found similar guidance through my work as a coach and trainer. No matter what vehicle I use, the key is to be open to hearing the whispers, noticing the signs that tell me if I am on track.
I ask questions daily, leaving the answers open ended so that I can hear not only what I want to hear, but also what I need to hear. When I follow the guidance I receive, my life begins to flow more easily and doors open. When I don’t, or I’m not even asking questions, I encounter block after block. Nothing seems to go my way. Everything is a struggle.
Our definition of success, happiness, fulfillment, helps us know if we are on track as well. It might be a level of health, an abundance of love, or financial reward that says, Yes!—we’re living our best life. It’s different for everyone; what matters is that we are being true to ourselves in the process.
Every one of us carries baggage—from our upbringing, our education, the media. It comes in the form of beliefs about who we are and should be “in order to….” Questioning those beliefs is the beginning of remembering the truth that we were born with, the essence of our soul. We were all born with a gift of some sort, a contribution that is uniquely ours to offer. It doesn’t have to include fame and fortune to make a difference in the lives of those we love and in our own experience of living.
My high degree of sensitivity, my connection to Spirit, and my visionary creative abilities are the ways through which I walk through the world as who I truly am and offer that to others. It isn’t simply that I create beautiful things. It’s that I am being me creating those things. They contain the essence of my soul, the essence of Spirit and the love that flows from both. Therein lies my “success,” because living and creating from that place ensures that whatever I do, whoever I meet, and whatever opportunities I have, I will be fulfilled and make a difference in someone’s life.
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