I do not doubt that our lives have been pre-written in the stars, but it is up to us to answer our calling.
We are born with the seeds of our future. What grows depends on us.
Who were you at five years old?
It is my assumption and experience that, even as a young child, we have strong intuitions about who we are and what we want to be.
I remember a young Jiana standing in front of a poem on a wooden block in my and my mother’s room. Around it were pictures of children — angels if my memory serves me right. Since then, I dreamt of being surrounded by children. I loved the idea of caring for them. A few years later, I rocked my baby cousin to sleep. I put him to sleep frequently. I felt useful; I was doing something I loved.
In high school, I dreamt of becoming a pediatrician or a pediatric neurosurgeon. I wanted to help children. In college, I volunteered at the pediatrics department of a hospital here in Los Angeles. Then I became a mother and decided to find a new path to pursue the same dream.
The universe is wild and full of surprises. I became a teacher. I taught English to children in China and other parts of the world. I had no teaching degree, but the opportunity came to me. Before I had a grasp of what was happening, I was, unknowingly, launching a teaching business.
The business grew and another one was born. This time I coached middle and high school students on personal development. Every day was the best day of my life. To see them light up and grow in front of my very eyes gave me an irreplicable high.
It is wonderful to know that the life of my dreams—the life I live now—sprouted from my obedience to the true desires of my heart. It is also my conclusion that those unsatisfied with their lives are those who have not yet surrendered to their nature.
It is easier to swim downstream than go against the current. It is far more joyous to write the songs of your heart than carefully craft a narrative you think will appeal to others. It feels more divine to be distinctly you and all that you are.
It is when we deviate from ourselves that life feels hard. But when we remember who we were—who we are—we feel aligned and powerful once again.