Where does your deep gladness meet the world’s need? What is your native way of being in the world, and where does that meet a need in the world?

This is a post I’ve struggled with for a long time. I love Parker Palmer’s work, especially Let Your Life Speak – but this central concept of the book is a struggle for me to answer. What is my native way of being in the world? How does somebody even answer that question? 

Am I the only one who doesn’t know how to identify my native ways of showing up? 

I pause and I consider – when I am the me-est me, what does it look like? I’m attuned yet action-oriented. I show up as a disambiguator and a clarifier. I’m a helper, an encourager, and an empowerer. And I deeply believe the world needs these things. 

This deep gladness, this way of being fully myself, manifests in my transition into coaching and counseling. I want to help people reconcile their story, understand their strengths, take the next step, and own their story. Is this the “deep gladness” Palmer talks about? I don’t know. But I do know that it’s deep me-ness. 

What does deep you-ness look like?