Logo of the Dharma Initiative (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This post is for those of us who for whatever reason find ourselves not taking time to truly be ourselves. The ancients have a term called dharma. Dharma means duty. Dharma also means place in life. It is our duty to God and The Universe and ourselves to be in our place. Our place is where we feel most natural and happy.
It does not matter what we do for a living or how busy we find ourselves, we must take time to tend to our dharma. We are all wired a certain way, and we are wired that way for a reason. We are like tools made for a specific purpose. If we are not being of use in the way that God intended for us to used or better yet the way The Universe wants to express itself through us, we will feel out of harmony and out of balance.
The interesting thing is we may even have several ways we are meant to express ourselves. I have found that I can spend all day everyday tending to one dharma with my business where I serve many people daily, but if I neglect other parts of myself and ways of expression, I will feel out of sorts. The more this is neglected the worse it gets. It can even lead to fatigue and sickness. For this reason I have to take and set aside time to be myself in ways that may not otherwise be expressed. I have found that taking just a few minutes a day to devote to my writing for example does wonders for me and changes my whole day. It changes the way I feel about the rest of my life because this part of myself is not being neglected.
This is just some food for thought or a question to ask yourself. Are you tending to your dharma? Are you taking time to be who you really are?
Okay, I am really glad you spoke about this just now in my life, because yesterday I was feeling the need to paint so strong, and I didn’t have any canvases, so I painted right on my wall. I had to express and I had to do it immediately so I went with what I could asap. It was washable paints I have for my son to paint with.
Is there a formula to discover all of our dharma and what needs expressing, cause I believe I have quite a few, and really can’t neglect them or I wilt inside. When I am in flow with it, I feel so alive.
I know I have to paint and create, I am definately a creater, I have to create, with paint, with writing, and expressions of love and appreciation of others. When I do this it makes my heart sing, and I feel more alive.
Thanks Craig, this is bang on to where I was needing to focus and work. I have a lot going on in my life now and am very busy, I still can’t neglect my need to express God creatively somehow. Balance, organization, discipline, I need it all.
Karen Kozak
Thanks Karen I am glad you liked the post. In answer to your question about a formula. I try to keep my meditations up so I can remain in touch with my true self as much as possible. Also I do try to set aside time to express my dharmas that I have discovered thus far. I try to spend at least an hour or two a day for this usually at about 5 am before my family is up and about.