One of my favorite shows used to be The Librarians starring Noah Wiley. I’ve been watching it again on Prime Video lately.

If you’re not familiar with it, the premise is that there is a secret “library” where all the great treasures, books and artifacts of the world are kept. Of course this being a fantasy show, there is magic involved. The desire for control of the magic provides the underlying theme, with the Librarians battling to keep the world safe from those who would misuse it to the detriment of humanity.

One of the characters, played by Christian Kane, is a guy who was working in the oilfields in his father’s business because that’s what was expected of him. But he was secretly an expert on art and architecture, who wrote about those things under a pen name. He hid his passion from his family because they didn’t approve.

Often our family’s expectations can put us on a path that doesn’t feel authentic. We hide the real interests that bring us joy because of their disapproval. But unlike the character Jacob Stone, we don’t pursue them in secret, we bury them deep inside and try to ignore them as we go about the life we feel has been prescribed for us.

It’s a terrible waste.

The things that bring you joy, that you would gladly do for hours on end, for no pay, just because you love them – those are your unique gifts that you were meant to pursue and share with the world. I might even dare use the word Purpose.

Are you expressing those gifts, or actively pushing them away? What would happen if you embraced them, and found a way to share them with others?

Ask yourself, if you could do anything, anything at all, with no limitations, no worries about money or anyone’s approval, what would that be?

If you feel a mixture of fear and excitement, joy and dread, you’re on the right track! If you were to allow yourself to take the next step toward it, what would that look like? Try it on and see how it fits. It may not be the exact thing you’re meant to do, but it’s a clue to help you on the journey to living the life you were born to live.