What s the meaning of life?

How can you be happy and successful?

What is my purpose here?

Everyone tells you that if you want to live a happy life, all you need to do is follow your passion.

Sounds like a piece of cake, right? And for some of us, it’s quite clear. But for the majority of folks I know, discovering their passion in life is a challenge on its own.

It’s not enough we need to juggle all of life’s nuances, but we need to be on a constant quest to discover what’s the ONER thing we came here to do.

It’s a bit overwhelming, isn’t it?

At least it was for me – I went back and forth the things I think I’m good at, the things people tell me I’m good at, what my hearts desires, what the world needs…..and so on…..and I could never arrive at a certain decision what my passion really is.

Until I read a book on yoga, called the Living Gita.

There are many golden nuggets in this book, but one of the things it helped me do is discover my passion and purpose in life through a simple but powerful visualisation.

How To Discover Your Purpose In Life

I’ll give it to as it’s in the book, but feel free to imagine a different situation if that’ll make it more believable for your mind:

Imagine you go to an ashram (a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Hinduism) to elevate your spirituality. (In my visualisation, this was a community that was away from civilisation, basic and new, like a huge camp). You expect to spend all your days meditating and praying, serving the guru and selflessly completing every task.

But time passes and you need to fill your days. At first, meditating might be enough for you, but as time goes by you feel the need to do something.

If you’re an accountant, you’ll start keeping track of the ashram’s accounts.

If you’re a chef, you’ll be compelled to work in the kitchen.

If you’re a doctor, you’ll start healing people.

Not because you must, but because you feel a natural disposition to do this things. You’ll feel compelled to whatever your passion is.

Imagine this ashram (or camp), imagine yourself living there.

What do you do? What do you naturally start doing and what you can’t imagine yourself doing?

This is your purpose in life.

You might find out that this is something you’re naturally good at. That shouldn’t be a surprised. We’re naturally good at what we’re meant to do in life (makes sense, right?). So the thing that you’ll happily devote your time in this ashram is what your life needs to be devoted to in reality.

What I Discovered With This Visualisation Exercise

First, it’s okay to have more passions than one. In my visualisation I was writing, making jewelry and decoration from natural and recycled materials, I was teaching and taking care of children, and I was helping others. There was no one good answer and that’s okay. We, people, are complex creatures and it’s okay to have more than one shades of why we’re here. Even the tree has many jobs – to shade, to be a home, to create oxygen….You’re a human! Don’t limit yourself.

Second, all of those passions were with me since I was a kid. When I had them clearly identified, I saw that since I was a little kid I was naturally compelled to these things. I wanted to write and won poetry contests. I was drawing clothes and jewelry designs when I was 6. It just felt clear all of a sudden, it was all there in the first place!

Third, I’m rather a follower than a leader, and that’s okay. I was always an entrepreneurial spirit and I though that my ultimate mission in life is to create my own business. However, in my visualisation I wasn’t organising and leading, but helping the leader achieve his vision. This was an eye-opener for me. Now I know I might never start MY own big business, but I am okay with that. Everyone has an important role.

What will come up in your visualisation?

I can’t wait to see you comments!

If this simple exercise for discovering your passion in life is something you dig, you should check out the Happiness Workbook for more (it’s free and really hilarious at times).

Antonia Zorluer is a designer, writer and content marketer. She writes for businesses at work and for pleasure at her personal happiness blog mintyhideout.com where you can find inspirational stories and tips on using writing for a better life. She loves to connect and talk happiness and writing on Twitter and Google +.