How can we find which work bests suits our nature?

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain occasional errors or inaccuracies.

Question, how can we know what it is that is our nature? What can we best contribute towards? Answer, broadly speaking, we find out what our nature is or what we care for the most by asking three questions to ourselves. The first question is, what am I good at? Second is, what do I deeply care about? And third is, what do I strongly believe in? What these questions mean is that if we consider our situation, every one of us faces different kinds of problems at different times. And amidst the problems that we face, every one of us has to work to deal with the problems.

There are some problems that we love to deal with because they are right up our alley. And there are some problems which we consider to be a big burden to have to deal with. And to the extent we practice bhakti, to that extent, the problems we deal with are to the extent we work according to our nature.

Ultimately, as spiritual nature is to practice bhakti. But at our practical level, we have a particular psychophysical nature. To the extent we work according to our nature, to the extent we are dealing with the problems that we like to deal with.

And that ensures that we feel inspired, stimulated to deal with those problems. So intellectuals love to deal with intellectual issues. Intellectuals love to deal with problems that they can analyze, reason, synthesize.

So intellectuals are good at intellectual work. So that is the first question. What am I good at? Second is, what do I truly care about? Deeply care is, for each one of us, there are different times, different people who work.

We will have to find out, is there something out there that we feel is, something out there that is, there is something which is wrong and which I would love to set right. Since we know that, we will be driven to work towards it, to change it. To work for dealing with it.

And that is where we find out what cause we can work for. Say for example, a doctor is driven, a person who is in medical science. That person, medical research you could say, say that person is driven.

If their loved one had died because of a disease which has no cure, then they may be driven to cure that particular disease. And by understanding this, this is what I really care for. They will be able to work for, work wholeheartedly for dealing with the disease.

So thus, what we care for is determined by, what we truly care for. That also determines in what direction we should work. Then, what do I deeply believe in? Believe in means that, there is a skill, there is a problem and there is a solution.

There is a strength or a skill. So, what am I good at, is the skill or the strength. What do I care about, deeply care about, that is the problem.

And what do I strongly believe in, is the solution. If I do this, this is where I can make an impact. This is where I can do something, which will contribute to a solution.

Once we have that understanding, then we can… It's 4.30. Okay, so the doctor may decide that, I want to do research. But this line of research, maybe by genetics, we can find a cure for this disease. So, that is the belief of the doctor.

And that belief will ensure that the doctor will work wholeheartedly. When medical experiments are done or medical study is done, at that time, unless there is a basic level of conviction that, what I am doing will make a difference, people cannot work without it. So, that's why it's important that, everything be done in a step-by-step systematic way, by which people know, what is needed and how it is to be done.

We ourselves know, so what do I believe in? This is where I can contribute. This is how I can help to deal with this problem. With these three broad divisions in our life, with these three broad directing questions, we will be able to find out, what it is that we truly care for.

And by thus, working in a systematic way, we will be able to solve whatever problems we might be facing. Thus, for each one of us, if we work in that structured way, asking these three questions, that will help us to take things forward in a step-by-step manner. That is what each one of us needs to do.

And if we do it, we grow by this. So, from the traditional Varanashram perspective, we could say that each one of us has certain talents, certain abilities. And each one of us can contribute according to those abilities.

So, in Gunakarma Bhaag, it says that we have certain qualities, and we have certain abilities. So, if you understand what our qualities are, that means what we are good at, that would refer to our ability. And what is it that we care for, what is it that we believe in, that is largely shaped by our disposition, that can refer to our qualities.

Then we can act in the most effective way, making the contribution that we are meant to make. Thank you.