I’m just back from a sold out Hay House workshop in Seattle. It was a blast! I never feel more on purpose than when I am leading seminars.

I’ve been rereading Steven Pressfield’s newest book Turning Pro.

It’s a follow-up to his AMAZING book The War of Art.

In this book, Pressfield talks about “shadow” careers. That is to say, things we do that are not our true calling. We get a lot of certainty out of our shadow careers, but not true fulfillment. Imagine the artist who chose the corporate route instead. Or the writer who chose to be an attorney. Or the healer who chose to become an insurance agent. Or the entrepreneur who took the 9 to 5 because it was a more certain path.

The shadow career is a false expression of who we really are. It’s what I’ll call our “fate.” That is to say – the way our life will turn out based on the circumstances of our life from birth. Fate is letting your life be defined by your conditions and by fear.

Fate is not destiny. Destiny is something you create. Destiny has a calling to it. And a beckoning out into the unknown. Our job in life – if we want to be happy, is to step into our destiny, into our calling.

For a long time in my life, I knew I was a writer. I was creative. I had creative dreams. But what did I do? I went into the service of others as a manager in the music business. And I created so much anxiety and unexpressed creative energy that I almost killed myself with drugs trying to cover it up. It was only through an act of GRACE that I was saved from my fate.

And I’ve been on my destiny path for a few years now. It started out terrifying. And it’s still scary, but not as much.

Part of living your destiny and not your shadow career is being able to LIVE in and with uncertainty. It’s about trusting The Uni-verse to have your back. It’s about realizing you have a gift, and your job is to GIVE that gift to the world. It’s about doing what’s right, rather than what’s easy. It’s about turning PRO and showing up – whether you are inspired or not.

Are you living in your shadow career? Are you bound by fate or creating your destiny?

Think about it and let me know.

Make it a great week,

Mastin