Your purpose

How Steve Jobs Taught Us to Align Passion with Dharma

Why aligning passion with dharma matters

I remember Steve Jobs’s Stanford speech from 2005, which made the rounds on the Internet and caught my attention.

Do what you think is great work. Love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking and don’t settle.

His words reflect the essence of finding your dharma (duty).

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, an influential figure in British intellectual life, said the whole COVID-19 mess is “the closest thing to a revelation for atheists.”

Rabbi Sacks mentioned that for decades, we were just rolling along and confronted with the fragility and vulnerability of human existence.

It was as if the universe had decided to remind us that we were not invincible.

Looking around, you will find someone quitting their job, starting a side hustle or business, or looking to make a positive change.

Last month, I stuck up a conversation with my former colleague and good friend.

He was planning to move to a company allowing him to continue working remotely.

Working from home makes him feel more productive and cares for his health and family.

He has dreamed of opening a restaurant for some time.

By working remotely, he has been able to spend extra time learning about the food business.

I call this a ‘dharmic revolution’.

Traditionally, this Sanskrit word means to live in harmony with one’s own path and the natural world.

In the past, however, this often meant conforming to rigid social roles based on caste or gender.

But dharma also has another side: doing what you’re truly meant to do on this planet.

Understanding Dharma

According to Eastern philosophy, dharma is about discovering one’s unique purpose in the universe and living in harmony with it.

Everyone has a different duty that is unique in this universe.

Understanding it in its true sense can lead you to a life of meaning, fulfillment, and a deeper connection with the world around you.

It all starts with asking ourselves questions about the nature of our existence.

• Am I living my dharma?
• Are my duties really in harmony with the cosmic laws of nature?
• Was there more to life than just a job and a paycheck?
• Do meditation, yoga, or other forms of self-reflection bring me closer to what I should be doing?
• What was the point of it all?

The journey of understanding my Dharma began when I read the book “Think Like a Monk” by Jay Shetty last month.

After reading a few chapters in the book, I got inspired to read the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu scripture that contains a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna.

I am into a few pages of reading the Gita and taking life lessons with each flipping page.

I understood Dharma isn’t merely about the daily grind or fulfilling social expectations.

It’s not just about what you do but who you are meant to be.

It is a calling that connects us to a higher purpose and what we do to make a difference in the world.

The Importance of Passion

You often hear this from gurus: Just follow your passion!

And yes, you would certainly like to follow this advice if only you knew what your passion is.

Discovering your passion requires tough self-exploration and self-discovery.

Simply put, passion is something we really want to do, no matter what others say, no matter what we get out of it, and no matter what the results look like.

For example, you cannot give up if your parents or partner do not agree with you holding on to something.

Similarly, passion is something that is not result-oriented.

Perform your duty equipoised, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga. Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 2, Verse 48)

During the conversation in the middle of the war, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to fulfill his duties without being influenced by emotions or external events.

This verse teaches the concept of fulfilling one’s duties without a sense of attachment to the results.

In other words, we should perform our duties with a calm and balanced mind.

Many great people we know today were not considered “great” in their day.

They did not earn a lot of money or receive many rewards.

Nevertheless, they made such a great contribution that none of us can ignore.

It may feel like you should already be sure of your passions, but the truth is that most of your peers are still figuring them out.

And that’s a good thing!

You’re not expected to have your whole life figured out before you graduate.

Not everyone is lucky or privileged enough to find their true passion at this age.

Passion combines what you love, what you’re naturally good at, and what the world needs.

People like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mak Zuckerburg discovered their passion early on and adhered to it for a long time.

According to a study by MIT professor Pierre Azoulay, the average age of company founders is somewhere around 42.

He and his team analyzed 2.7 million people who founded companies between 2007 and 2014.

Once you find your true passion, you’ll embark on a fulfilling and wonderful journey.

Passion aligns with our core values and beliefs.

Uncovering it might take time, self-exploration, and sometimes even a few wrong turns.

Aligning Passion with Dharma

When passion meets purpose, success follows naturally.

Once you have figured out what you’re passionate about, it’s time to dive into a focused project or job.

A project that will not only benefit you personally and financially but will also touch the lives of others.

The easiest way to align your passion and dharma is to ask yourself a few questions:

• Who am I, and what do I want?
• How can I help others?
• How can I serve?
• Does my project feel natural?
• Is it fun and interesting?
• Do others and I get positive results from it?

Trust the answers and continue to take strategic steps to bring your passion projects to life and fulfill your purpose.

It’s time to rethink and reinvent the wheel if you feel unhappy yourself while providing a service to the world.

This gives you a sense of pride that goes beyond material success.

You feel proud and happy when you know that your work has a positive impact on the lives of others.

Of course, there will also be moments of doubt and uncertainty, but clarity about your goal will help you move forward.

You will notice a notable difference in the way you approach problems.

The work will feel more like fun and less like a job.

The challenges look like growth opportunities that previously seemed like roadblocks.

You will look forward to waking up each day with a clear sense of direction and enthusiasm for what lies ahead.

This motivation keeps you going, reminding you why you started in the first place.

Final thoughts

Your true purpose is not something you need to search for; it’s something you need to awaken to. — Eckhart Tolle

Through this quote, Eckhart conveys the message that your true purpose is already inside you.

You just need to wake up to it.

This means finding what you love and care about, and realizing that this is your purpose.

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Originally published at my blog: https://hardikraval.com