We are told from the beginning of school to look at the subjects we do well in and focus on those areas for a career. We are told to study hard and to take advantage of different opportunities to advance ourselves. We are told to look at the pay scale and health benefits a job has to offer.

We are told to work hard and climb our way to the top so we can afford the comforts of life and reap the benefits of our hard work. Why is it then that so many of us follow this recipe and still end up feeling like something is missing? How is it that while we may enjoy our career, sometimes we still struggle with the need to do more or search further for personal fulfillment?

The answer is simple. It is because when choosing our careers most of us were never told to take our divinity into consideration, and by divinity I am referring to the natural talents or gifts each of us possess. While this concept is newer to the Western way of thought, the idea of allowing your talents or dharma to lead your path has been embraced in Eastern cultures for thousands of years. Dharma is a Sanskrit word that, put simply, translates to the way we are meant to live. It is our own personal flow of life that one must find along the way. Think of it like this – it is the internal knowing that an artist must create, or the musician must play, or the athlete must perform in order to feel alive. It is our own path that connects us with who we are meant to be in life.

When we utilize our innate talents we are connecting to the divine. This concept is easy to see when we listen to the child prodigy as he glides his nimble fingers across the keys of a baby grand or when we watch the young man as he is drafted early into the big leagues. But what about the rest of us? We have our own set of talents as well. Why is it then, that we have not experienced these ultimate benefits of our own gifts or dharma? How is it that we work hard but still harbor feelings of lack in our own careers?

It is because we must learn to connect with our higher selves in everything we do, not just those things we excel at. Since we are at our jobs for such a long period of our life this is one of the main areas where we must begin to connect with our life’s purpose to experience true fulfillment. Think about this for a moment: if we get up every morning and go to a job that leaves us feeling dissatisfied, it slowly drains our spirit and takes away from our motivation. This is because we are going against what we are meant to do in life. But if we are in a career that matches our own dharma then we will be feeding our inner essence while enjoying greater satisfaction.

To go one step further, when we connect to our own divinity and use our talents to serve humanity we experience true joy and fulfillment because we are connecting with our true purpose and simultaneously lifting others in the process.

So how do we discover our own personal dharma? While it is important to look at areas of study we excel in, we must look at our natural passions and talents as well. Most of us have already felt glimpses of it in our life whether we have realized it or not. The times that we have felt inspired are when we are connecting with our inner divinity. After all, the word inspired comes from being in spirit.

We must ask ourselves what our passions in life are, and how can we make use of our talents to fulfill this part of yourselves. Clearing our minds and allowing the clutter of fear and negativity to be released results in clarity, and only with clarity can we begin to see our true essence. If failure were not an option what would we do? What would it take for us to do what is more meaningful?

Finding our dharma is the missing link to complete fulfillment in the workplace. It is what will take us to the highest level and leave us feeling alive and inspired to reach beyond our dreams.

Tara Patricia is a respected author and speaker in the field of Self- Transformation. She holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology with advanced postgraduate studies in Clinical and Neuropsychology. Tara has worked for many years with families and suicidal adolescents. To learn more, visit her at www.tarapatricia.com. Her book, The Road You Were Meant to Travel is available at amazon.com.