My Uber driver delivered this message
Poetry Oracle: Week of July 10rd
Welcome back to the Self Love Confidential Poetry Oracle, where the universe sends you the message you need to hear right now by way of a poem from one of my books. If you’ve been doubting yourself, especially when it comes to honoring your purpose, this week’s Oracle is for you.
Saturday night I went to a nightclub for a dear friend’s birthday party. I haven’t been to a club in years, and in anticipation of the fun I did in fact end up having, I made the responsible decision to take an Uber. Lately, I haven’t had the best rideshare experiences, so I had to overcome quite a bit of internal resistance to order a car.
When my driver Ricardo arrived, I knew from the first few moments that the ride was going to be special. He had just the right music on and we quickly slipped into a friendly conversation. I love getting to know my drivers and hearing their stories. In this case, we shared a lot in common: both of us are the children of immigrants who recently transitioned from safe, acceptable career paths (his: banking, mine: business) into more purpose-aligned career paths (his: computer science, mine: writing poetry). Ricardo shared how at first he was very anxious about quitting his job of five years to drive Uber and go back to school. Once he quit, he spent many sleepless nights worrying about whether he made the right decision. I felt him and empathized. I myself have been having a lot of doubt this week about whether my path as an author and poet, despite being my purpose, is actually going to work out for me financially so I can provide for my family.
When I expressed my doubts, Ricardo shared an experience he had that still gives me chills to think about. One night a few months ago, he woke up with anxiety, only to discover a white aura in his room by his bed. He believed this aura to be God visiting him. God’s energy (by way of the aura) was joyful, and it filled Ricardo up. It let him know that humans are meant to be joyful, and that the things that weigh us down — guilt, doubt, regret, shame and fear — are all man-made obstacles that were never part of God’s plan. God visited him that night through the white aura to let him know what it is supposed to feel like to be human. Happy and whole. From that night forward Ricardo shifted to a state of joy and trust because he knew following his heart and honoring his purpose was the right thing. There was no place for doubt anymore. Is it easy for him to drive Uber from 4 am to 12 pm each day, then go to school, and then drive again at night? Not at all. But does he regret the shift he made? No. He is fueled by his purpose, and by his faith.
I share this now with you because we all are here with purpose, and we all deserve to live a life that is alignment with that purpose. Ricardo and I talked about how we both believe God to be a universal energy, the thing that connects us to each other and the world. Our conversation had nothing to do with our different religions, and everything to do with our shared humanity. By embracing our purpose and being vulnerable enough to share about it, we gave each other the assurance we both needed that we’re on the right path.
So this week, my gift to you is the gift he gave me: tonight envision the white aura visiting you and filling you with hope and healing. From this place of wholeness, ask yourself: what is my purpose? Then take a step towards it.
“To live without purpose
won’t kill you,
but you won’t truly feel alive.
Your purpose never expires,
no matter how late
you discover or decide to live it.
Your purpose and your day job
don’t have to be the same thing.
Living your purpose has intrinsic value,
regardless of external validation
or financial reward.
Once you’ve discovered your purpose
you’ll know. I promise.”
Self Love Poetry, page 184.
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