“I want to know my purpose,” Erin said when we met for a session. Throughout the session, I discovered that Erin had a successful business doing the one thing she loved most – interior design. This was when I got a little confused – why did Erin want to know her purpose when it was so clear she was already fulfilling it? 

Her answer was a profound discovery. It’s not something I’ve never heard before, but I needed to hear it from Erin at this time, in this context, to realize the depth of an issue many of us on the spiritual path face. 

Erin told me that she felt interior design was not spiritual. She believed her purpose should be more spiritual than just making beautiful homes for people. 

It took me back to when I was a co-owner of a yoga studio. My partner wanted to include Pilates classes in our schedule. “Pilates?” I asked, taken aback to present my aversion to the idea. I firmly believed Pilates was not spiritual enough and had no room in a yoga studio.

A few years later, I was struggling with fertility and had three miscarriages. I kept getting injured in my yoga practice, which then became so limited that it made me feel geriatric. I wanted to take care of my physical, mental, and emotional health, so I decided to try Pilates.

It was then that I stood corrected about my previous perception of Pilates vs yoga. Spirituality was not ingrained in any of these practices – it was the state of mind, the level of devotion and concentration, and the intention I brought into the practice that made it spiritual or unspiritual. 

The same goes for how we were meant to share our gifts with the world. Being an astrologer, a yoga teacher, or a spiritual teacher is not more spiritual than being an accountant, a lawyer, a programmer, or a designer. We each came with a different chart and a different purpose. We each came to share our gifts differently.

The most spiritual thing you can do is be you and share your gifts in the way you came to share them. If you are grounded, practical, and good with numbers, your spiritual work might be accounting or managing other people’s money. If you are creative and stylish and know how to create homes that help others thrive, interior design might be your purpose. 

Do we need examples of spiritual teachers and leaders who were nothing but spiritual? Who abused their students and disciples in the most horrific ways? On the other hand, there are many stories of spiritual masters who spent most of their lives washing dishes in the monastery’s kitchen.

There are stories of a black sorcerer who murdered dozens of people and became the Tibetan Buddhist master Milarepa. And the story of a man who left his parents, job, wife, and child to become the Buddha. Can we even classify any of these stories and actions as spiritual or not spiritual? I can assure you that if my husband left me and our son to meditate in a remote forest, I would not think he was spiritual. I would think he was a narcissist. 

To fulfill your purpose, you need to have passion for what you do. It is spiritual to be excited to wake up and do your work. It is spiritual to be devoted to your work and the people you serve. It is spiritual to want to do the absolute best for the people you work with and for. It is spiritual to be genuinely grateful for your work. One of my best friends is a tax accountant. He has never read a spiritual book, listened to a spiritual podcast, or practiced meditation, yet he is one of the most spiritual beings I know. Why? Because all he has is love in his heart.

It’s not about what you do but how you do it. It’s not about whether it’s spiritual or not; it’s about whether you are spiritual when you do it.

Sagittarius is the sign of the philosophy of spirituality. It is the first transpersonal sign of the zodiac that tries to figure out our relationships with the world at large.

On this new moon in Sagittarius, ask yourself if you live your life spiritually, bringing devotion and intention to everything you do. Do you dream of a more spiritual way of life, unaware that you already embody yourself in the most spiritual way? Or do you live your life feeling that it’s not the life you were meant to live? If this is the case, ask yourself if there is anything you can do to bring more joy and excitement into your life.

After all, the purpose of life, according to all the spiritual masters, is to be happy. Sometimes, to be happy, all you need to do is let go of spiritual ideas that take your happiness away, and sometimes, you need to make a fundamental change in your life. What is it for you? I’d love to hear from you. 

Have a wonderful week,

With love,

Yael