Everyone has a divine purpose. Not a single human being is left behind. We are not always aware what our personal purpose is. But universally everyone has the same purpose. We are here on this planet to return to the source; (whatever your belief system is as the source) generally we refer to that source as Divinity.
We all have some duties that we must perform. As a child we need to learn. As a parent we have the responsibilities of the children. As a daughter, son, father, mother, grandparent or employer or employee; we all have some responsibility or duty. At the same time, we want to actualize and be the individual. Every individual came with a wonderful potential to manifest. This potential is within us and needs to be expressed. When we can utilize our potential, then we feel fulfilled. When we are recognized and loved for our potential then we feel joy. It is also our duty to manifest that potential.
No matter what, we need to do our best in all situations, be it at work, or studying, or interacting with others, or in relationships, or family. When we do our best, we will feel fulfilled. Most times we are not doing our best. We may feel entitled, tired, confused, or distracted and not do our best. This will express itself in inadequacy, insecurity, boredom, lack of purpose and general discontent. To compensate, the ego finds reasons outside of ourselves and will blame others or the world.
We are here to learn about ourselves and at the same time work out karma that we have created. Every person is at the exact place where they need to be to fulfill that journey back to the source. But it is our responsibility to do our best even in situations that are not always to our liking. My Guru Ma Yoga Shakti’s motto was “Do your best and leave the rest.” Leaving the rest means leaving it up to the Divine to either make it count or not. This is not always easy. We want our actions to have results the way we see them. But that does not necessarily mean it is for our best or for our evolution towards the universal goal of reaching back to the source.
Our higher self, our I am Presence, or intuitive mind knows what is best for us. But…….! Yes, we must trust. To do the best and leave the rest requires surrender. We might call it God, the universe, or our higher self. We need to learn to surrender to the energy that is within us that is fueled by the Divine Source. That energy knows what is best for us.
When starting on a new journey I like to always specify: “may it be for my highest good, and for the highest good for all involved.” This way we will give permission to channel our divinely inspired energy that comes from our higher self. Surrender is not a weakness. It takes tremendous strength to surrender life to the supreme or cosmic unfoldment. We need to trust, to ask for guidance and then go within for the answers. They are within us. We have all the answers, just ask and surrender. We may ask and what we feel inside is not what we want to hear and override our inner wisdom with our ego. This is why practicing surrender is important.
The Bhagavat Gita explains that karma yoga is doing our duty but not looking for the results. This will give us tremendous freedom. We just need to do our duty and do our best and not worry about the results. Like giving the worry over to God. Marianne Williamson states that “the moment of surrender is not when life is over, it’s when it begins.”
What do we mean by doing our best? Whatever our duty is or whatever plan we put into motion, we need to come from the heart as well as the mind. Because when we do something with a pure heart, even if it is wrong, in the future we find out that it was right. We like to complain that we do not have time, or that there are too many responsibilities for us to manifest our innate potentials. But that is not true. What we love or feel inspired to do, we always have time for. We will make the time. Let us look and see how we take time to fulfill an addiction; or take time to engage in something we love. Time is flexible.
Doing our best and leaving the rest is like is like trusting that there is a grater plan for us, and that it will unfold in time. Without the egoistic ego, there is something within us that knows what to do. There is a power greater than us that knows how to take care of us without our help. By surrendering our thoughts, mind and ego that inner power will take better care of us then we could ever imagine. But we must do our best to activate that inner power.
“When we finally give up the struggle to find fulfillment “out there,” we have nowhere to go but within. It is at this moment of total surrender that a new light begins to dawn.” ~ Shakti Gawain
