Oh, the excited anticipation of spring and new beginnings. Are you waiting to begin something you’ve longed to create… a new book, business, or mission in life?

In my work as a journalist, and in interviews for my upcoming book called Everyday Visionaries, I’ve talked to many people who’ve found their soul’s calling—or at least dream job—and who’ve turned their vision into a reality. And you can too.

As Martin Luther King Jr. so beautifully said: “Everybody can be great . . . because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace.”

Many of you reading this do have a college degree, some of you can even make your subject and verb agree, and I suspect as a reader of motivation.com you have a heart and soul generated by love. That said, do you know how to follow your soul’s GPS or do you need to stop for directions?

The desire to contribute—to your family, your community, or the planet—is one of the deepest human drives. Yet a lot of people don’t know where or how to serve. From boomers looking to divest themselves of possessions and invest in something with purpose, to the millennial generation where polls have shown that 97% of those under 35 are looking for jobs where they can make a difference and have an impact! 

Here are a few ways to finding a path that serves your soul… and maybe even the planet.

1)    Find clarity through action. Clarity can be a rarity. I know, we’re all told to “get clear” before we act, decide, or deploy. But sometimes you have to take action first to know what it is that you love, want, or dream of doing and if it’s right for you. Action, any action, can be both insightful and instructive. Take small (or bold) steps towards your goals or dreams, the fog will clear, and your path will appear. The most important thing is to act.

2)    Listen to your intuition and inner guidance. Follow those whispers and nudges that get your attention and are leading you somewhere. Your place to serve may not be where you expected. That “little voice in your head,” might be God speaking. Pick up your messages.

3)    Go where you are needed. There is a place that needs you, and exactly what you have to offer. Find your fit. God didn’t make any extra parts.

4)    Start small. Act local, think global. Sometimes you can change the world from your own backyard… or in some cases, your front yard. I interviewed a Pittsburgh artist who has reduced violence in her inner-city neighbourhood by inviting kids and teens to create art on her front porch, rather than practice gang activity in the back lanes. Her organization is called Love Front Porch, and has now expanded to a larger building that’s become both an artistic and safe haven for children in the area. Imagine the ripple effect of teaching children to make art, not war. Wow.

5)    Be open to signs from the Universe (God, The Divine, Source… or who ever you’re dialed into.) That includes that call “out of the blue” from a potential mentor, partner, or publisher, a serendipitous meeting, or new opportunities appearing in your inbox, mailbox, or out of the box.

In the end, there are NO coincidences… or random acts of alignment. To hear your soul’s calling is usually a matter of listening. To follow your soul’s calling is usually a matter of acting.

What small steps can you take, today, to discover your unique place to serve? A life of meaning and a world that needs what you have to give await you.