You may have been taught to look for love outside of yourself.When you are very young, during your first seven years, you tend to pick up the beliefs and habits of the people who raise you. Sooner or later, these tendencies become a part of you. As you get older, you might start to question the concepts your parents taught you about who you are and what your potential is.

For example, there was a man who wanted his son to be a lawyer. This man believed that law was the only respectable career that was suitable for his son. So because the son had heard all his life that he was to be a lawyer, he followed suit and went to law school to become a lawyer. However, the son was never happy at law school; in fact he was miserable. The only time he was happy was when he was playing music. Because he was so unhappy, he used drugs and alcohol as an escape. This only made his problem worse as he escalated further into depression and despair.

If only the son had realized that his real niche in life was to be a musician.

Sound familiar? I made this up, but this story is so many people’s story. Instead of learning to look within to find your niche in life, you have been taught to look outside of yourself for answers, and do what others tell you to do. The people who raised you did the best they knew how. If they had known better, they may have done differently. But all they could do was to pass on to you their understanding and experiences of life- that largely came from the people that raised them!

Most people are never taught to listen to their inner desires and get involved with a career and pursuits that they really love to do. We are just not trained that way! If you would learn to look within, and know what you really want and what you really desire… I guarantee you that your life would improve dramatically. If you have children, start teaching them to look within, and to do what they really love.

I was pretty lucky with my parents. I remember my father would always say to me and my sisters, “I know I never need to worry about you girls, because whatever you do, you will be successful.” Dad believed in affirmations and he was clairaudient. So he would say positive things to us repeatedly, so that it would become part of our subconscious. Pretty cool!

My parents gave me the freedom to chart my own course and they supported my decisions. I never felt guilty being loyal to myself, because I saw my parents being loyal to themselves, and doing things that made them happy.

When I was at university doing a Bachelor of Arts degree, I heard a lot of disapproval and criticism from the people around me. People would say, “You can’t do anything with an arts degree,” “What a waste of time,” “What kind of career can you get from that?” Anybody and everybody wanted to express their opinion that arts were a waste of time and the only sensible thing to study at university was business so that you could get a job out of it.

It bothered me when people said this and made me feel self-conscious. But in my core, I knew that I had to follow my heart. I had to follow the path that made me happy- even if it didn’t seem practical and sensible.

All the people who were criticizing my choice of university study were only focused on the outer. They believe that the outer world dictates their success. It is a belief that the things that happen to us are out of our control. It’s more important to have a marketable skill in the job market because you’ll never make any money being an artist or a musician or an actor. (Kind of ironic when you think about it. Artists, musicians and actors are among the wealthiest people in the world!)

It’s one thing if you truly want to be a lawyer, and love the study of law. Great! But so many people choose their career not on what they truly love to do, but what is the safe, secure option.

When you learn to look within, you know that you have a unique life purpose. You know that the desires you have guide you on the path to finding your niche in life so you can express your purpose. You know that your success is not based on anything or anyone outside of you; it’s based on your inner feelings and desires. You know that as long as you follow your feelings and do what you love, you will always be successful.

When you do what you love, you will never “work” a day in your life. I love my life! Sometimes I literally jump up and down for joy at how much fun I have doing my work. And when you do what you love, you will be financially successful as well. If you are not enjoying the financial success you desire right now, you have a belief or fear holding you back. There’s something that you are resisting. Heal that false belief, and success is yours. It’s as simple as that.

Perhaps the false belief you are holding on to, is that you can’t earn money doing what you love.All you have to do is replace that with the belief that you CAN earn fantastic money doing what you love – and your life will change. I guarantee that there is someone out there already creating abundance from what you would like to do. There is absolutely no reason why you can’t too.

In fact, it is your birthright to do so. Every single one of you reading this have an important life purpose, and you are here to be successful doing it. It will look different for you than for anyone else. No one can do what you came here to do. And you can’t do anyone else’s purpose either! Just yours.

The first step is to look within. Look at what you truly want and desire. Then, organize yourself to set goals in those areas and achieve them.