by Shakti Gawain: A basic need of all human beings is to make a positive contribution to the world and to our fellow beings, as well as to improve and enjoy our personal lives. 
We all have a great deal to offer the world and to each other, each in our own special and unique way. To a great degree, our own personal sense of well-being is a function of how much we are expressing this.
We each have a significant contribution to make in this lifetime. It may involve many things, or it may be something very simple. I call this contribution our higher purpose. It always involves being yourself totally, completely, and naturally, and doing something or many things that you genuinely love to do, and that you have a natural gift for.
We all know in our hearts what our higher purpose is, but we often do not consciously acknowledge it, even to ourselves. In fact, most people seem to go to great lengths to hide it from themselves and from the world. They fear and seek to avoid the power, responsibility, and light that comes with acknowledging and expressing their true purpose in life.
As you use creative visualization, you will find that you become more and more attuned to and aware of your higher purpose. Notice the elements that tend to recur in your dreams, goals, and fantasies, the particular qualities that are there in the things you find yourself doing and creating. These are important clues to the underlying meaning and purpose of your life.
In using creative visualization, you will find that your ability to manifest will work to the degree that you are in alignment with your higher purpose. If you try to manifest something and it doesn’t seem to work, it may not be appropriate to the underlying pattern and meaning of your life. Be patient and keep tuning into your inner guidance. In retrospect, you will see that everything is unfolding perfectly.
This is a time of great transformation on our planet. We all have a part to play, just by being willing to be our true, magnificent selves.
