Story (James Hillman): According to James Hillman, one of the greatest mysteries of human nature is the question of character and destiny. In his bestseller The Soul's Code, he proposed that our calling in life is inborn and that it's our mission in life to realise its imperatives. He called it the 'acorn theory' – the idea that our lives are formed by a particular image, just as the oak's destiny is contained in the tiny acorn. Hillman says: "It's Plato's myth that you come into the world with a destiny. The acorn theory says that there is an individual image that belongs to your soul ... your heart holds the image of your destiny and calls you to it."

Story Essence: What is the destiny that you hold in your heart? What is the image that will become your calling, the reason for which you were born? Hillman calls on us to listen to this to find this image that belongs to our soul.

Specific Action: Think about the projects you've been involved in recently. What are the things that make you feel absorbed? What makes you feel happy when you're doing it? What are the things that you value? Ask others about a time that they thought you were at your best. What were you working on? Who were you working with? Keep a journal on what comes out of this search for the next week. This process will help to give you some clarity on what your calling might be.

By listening to the call of our destiny and finding the individual image of this destiny in our hearts, we lessen our struggles and we see more clearly what we need to do to align with our own unique calling. We will look tomorrow at our unique life space.

Image created with the assistance of Canva.com.

Interview on Scott London's website:  http://www.scottlondon.com/interviews/hillman.html