Two ways to know that our actions are aligned with our God-given nature

Two ways to know that our actions are aligned with our God-given nature – What should I be doing with my life? This is a question that we all encounter at some point. If we refine it further, we may ask, “What does God want me to do?” or even more specifically, “How can I know when my actions are aligned with my God-given nature?”

The Bhagavad Gita (4.13) declares that our nature, specifically in terms of our occupational orientation (known as varna), can be understood through two defining characteristics: guna (qualities) and karma (actions). While these characteristics can be comprehended in various ways, let’s consider two accessible understandings in terms of inspiration and impact.

Inspiration
When we have the guna or the quality for doing something, we naturally feel inspired to do it. Inspiration here can refer to two reinforcing dimensions: satisfaction and drive. When an activity aligns with our psychophysical nature, we experience intrinsic satisfaction in doing it and feel an innate drive or calling toward it. The energy to engage in such activities seems to come from within, and recognition or appreciation from others becomes a by-product, not the primary purpose.

To identify what inspires us, we can ask: if we had no obligations—social, financial, or familial—what would we like to devote our life to? This question requires looking deeper than superficial answers like watching TV or browsing social media, which may serve as temporary breaks but do not reflect our deeper callings. After all, would we want to be remembered as someone who spent hours daily watching TV?

We may discover our inspiration gradually through incremental growth in interest. Initially, we can look for curiosity rather than calling. By exploring what we’re interested in during our free time, we may eventually uncover our primary inspiration.

Impact
Next, we can look for karma or actions that have a tangible impact. Among the activities we have engaged in, we can evaluate where we have made meaningful contributions. This doesn’t mean we need to seek superlative impacts or compare ourselves to others. Instead, we can focus on activities where our efforts have made a difference, even if only slightly more than others’ contributions.

By reviewing our life, we can better understand areas where we’re more likely to find our calling and make concrete contributions. This self-evaluation helps us determine where our abilities align with our actions.

Summary:

• The universal question, “What am I meant to do with my life?” can be narrowed down with spiritual guidance to “How can I act in a way that aligns with my God-given nature?”
• To identify actions aligned with our God-given nature, we can:
• Look for activities that inspire us, indicating we have the guna (quality) for those actions.
• Look for activities where we have made a tangible impact, indicating we have the karma (capacity) for those actions.
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  Through self-observation and exploration, starting from initial curiosity and progressing to a calling, we can find areas where we experience maximum inspiration and impact.

Think it over:

• How can we narrow down the question about what we are meant to do in our life?
• List three areas where you feel inspiration to act.
• List three areas where you have made some impact while acting.

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04.13 According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.