What do you want to be when you grow up? We ask children this question all the time. In some cases they tell us even when we don’t ask! They want to be firefighters, doctors, magicians, or ballet dancers. But we seldom hear a child say, “I want to be happy.” Yet, that’s exactly what we are all ultimately striving for in life. With self-improvement making up a 2.48 billion dollar a year industry, it seems that few of us feel we’ve actually achieved this. No matter what fulfillment means to you, The Kabbalah Centre teaches that we find it through striving to reach our highest potential.
According to Michael Berg, as a whole, we have a long way to go. “Every single one of us is not living up to our potential,” he says. “If we are honest with ourselves, we are not even doing 1/1000th of the work that we are supposed to be doing.” On our way to becoming the firefighter or magician we always wanted to be, to raising a family, to developing strong relationships, we run into obstacles and distractions that can prevent us from reaching our highest potential. So, how do we get around these little bumps in the road of life? First, recognize that it takes deep internal work. Achieving career goals—even having families or getting married—is admirable. But it’s not what brings us lasting fulfillment.
Ask yourself what you truly desire. What do you feel passionately about? What motivates you? When you go beyond surface desires, like success, you may find that you are drawn to something very different than what you do for a living. A high-powered lawyer finds that she has always felt called to work with kids. So, she makes time in her busy schedule to volunteer to read picture books to patients at the children’s hospital. A cancer researcher loves working with his hands and spends his vacation time traveling to other countries to build homes and dig wells in under served communities.
Once you identify your desires, put them into action—that is how we grow, transform, and manifest our true purpose. Each action takes us closer to living a more fulfilled life, and thus closer to meeting our highest potential. However, this process is not always easy. Transformation takes spiritual endurance to overcome hardship and fears.
And expect more from yourself. As Michael Berg explains, “The singular reason why we are all falling short of the work that we need to do is because we don’t truly have an appreciation for who we are … for the greatness of our soul, and the potential of our soul.” It’s easy to get down on yourself when you realize that you are falling short on the work you are meant to be doing. But wallowing in this disappointment will only stall you on your journey to fulfillment. Reaching your highest potential is a huge and sometimes, lifelong endeavor. The spiritual strength you need to get there can only grow with self-love and compassion.
The reality is that the Creator set aside a unique path to fulfillment for each of us. We can still aspire to be doctors or ballet dancers but our real job is to uncover this path. We do this by focusing on our true desires and sharing our individual gifts to bring more Light into the world. In short, we are fulfilled through the act of sharing with others. Your path is ready and waiting for you. Now go find it.
