Not that long ago, I was exploring the woods with my seven-year-old son. He looked up at me and said:
“Mama, my purpose in life is to take care of nature.”
He was not only referring to his future but to his present life; he spends much of his time caring for nature in a multitude of ways. This purpose is written on his heart.
I was in awe at the inner wisdom and sense of purpose springing forth from his soul. What a gift to have such clarity at a young age.
I believe we are all born with special gifts, passions, and purposes that are lived out in various ways throughout our lives. Children often know their truths.
Along the way, we may lose our sense of what that is. We may be judged or criticized causing us to doubt our path or confidence in our gifts. Grief or tragedy may thwart, delay, and distort our sense of purpose. But in time we may realize these life challenges fine tune our gifts and deepen our purpose.
What I have come to appreciate about nature is its innate sense of its place in the world. A song bird knows its tune and how to construct a “just right” nest. A squirrel has the innate ability to perform ariel acrobatics, store nuts, and engineer a drey. A bulb knows when to awaken and shoot down roots, break through soil and when to bloom. A Monarch Butterfly knows when to migrate, where to journey, and how to find the milkweed plants it needs to lay its eggs for future generations.
These living things rely on and trust in their innate wisdom. They live out their purpose. If only we could trust our inner wisdom more.
The earth needs your gifts. As Frederick Buechner stated years ago, calling is “..the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
How long has it been since you’ve thought about your soulful work? When have you embraced your inner gifts that have most likely been present since childhood?
Does compassion come naturally to you? Are you able to see the world in a different way? Do you enjoy using your hands to create things? Do you have the gift of being able to teach so that others understand? Or the gift of listening and offering presence in way that comforts others? Do you love being with children? Do you have a special connection with animals?
Are you a Healer? Creator? Storyteller? Gardener?
Or perhaps nature calls out to you as it does my son.
I encourage you to take time to reflect on the gifts you behold and present them as an offering to the world. When sharing your gifts, simplicity is grand….it need not be a grand gesture. Our callings are lived out in the small moments that make up our days.
“My work is loving the world.” ~ Mary Oliver
Explore Your Inner Gifts
Identify and embrace your inner gifts that you can offer the world through the metaphor of blooming wildflowers. This invitation for the hands and heart is an excerpt from the Soulful Spring Guide.
