Two of the many things I love to do are eat and think. I've done some of my best thinking after eating a big meal. I enjoy traveling to different restaurants around the world and trying a wide variety of foods. In my future articles, I'll elaborate on the uplifting details of my travels; but in the meantime, please allow me to share with you some food for thought. I recently feasted magnificently at La Terrazza Ristorante, one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Vancouver, Canada. After indulging in a ten-course dinner, paired with wines from around the world, I was inspired to share my thoughts on one of life's most frequently asked questions: What is our purpose in life?

Getting ready for my ten-course dinner with wine pairing.

After dinner with Giulio, one of the owners at La Terrazza.

In one of my last articles, How Precious is Your Spirit?, I mentioned that each person has her or his own place and purpose. We all possess unique talents and unique ways of expressing them. This means each of us can do something better than anyone else in our society can. And every unique talent and expression of that talent also has unique needs. When these needs are matched with the creative expressions of our talents, they will spark the creation of prosperity. Whenever we express our unique talents and use them in the service of humanity, we lose track of time and create abundance in our lives, and in others' lives as well.

Chow down time at the Mandalay Bay Buffet in Vegas.

I always have room for dessert.

One of the stiffest challenges we face in life is securing a balance of the facets of our beings as we engage our surroundings. We're faced with so much interference daily that challenges our beliefs and our characters. Maybe we have friends trying to sway us to stay in certain places or jobs. Perhaps family members are discouraging our career aspirations. Despite such influences, we need always to remember that we, not they, ultimately have to live with the consequences of our actions and attitudes.

Seafood and pasta at Ristorante d'Antica in Amsterdam.

Chinese food at Sea Palace in Amsterdam.

Making a stop at Lucius in Amsterdam, the best seafood in town.

Everyone is different, and therefore our individual goals for and ideas about life are different. We must each realize that because we're unique individuals, fulfilling our goals and acting on our ideas will allow us to perform specific tasks in our society. As long as our thoughts are pure and no one, including ourselves, is harmed by our actions, we can be sure that we'll accomplish unique things that will contribute to the overall good of our society.

Getting excited over the fish menu.

Maybe I'll just have a cappuccino for dessert this time.

That's why you and I can't ever let ourselves give up on what we believe to be true for ourselves. Giving up on ourselves would mean we've allowed other people's voices to rule our own. We alone know what we're really best at or will enjoy doing with our lives. When we muster the courage to follow what we believe to be true for ourselves, we'll always meet people along the way who'll share our goals and even offer us their support to help us meet them.

I can never get enough dessert!

I love spicy Indian food too.

When you realize the importance and value of pursuing your own purpose, you'll overshadow other people's opinions of what you should want to do. At times you may feel that it would help to seek additional sources of positive reinforcement - but you must be careful whom you choose to ask for it. Sometimes other people's opinions of your goals can provide you with valuable insight, but not always. Never accept other people's opinions as laws on which you construct how you'll live your life. Those opinions merely reflect some other person's view of your life. Essentially, you must use your own judgment and know that it's all right to disagree with someone else's opinion, even if it was given gently and in good faith. If you do disagree with other people's opinions, be sure and ask yourself why you disagree. After you've evaluated your response, you may see a different aspect of your own goal or opinion you didn't see before.

Can I make you a cocktail?

Chowing down at La Bussola in Florence, Italy.

Being greeted by the maitre d' at Pinchiorri, a three-michelin star restaurant.in Florence.

Although many of us don't consciously recognize or acknowledge that we even have specific life purposes, our subconscious knows what we're here to do, and it reaches out to us, sending messages through our dreams, intuitions and innermost longings. Our destiny's call manifests in us through our deepest drives and abilities - the hidden forces behind our personalities. These drives shape our careers and our relationships, and influence the quality and direction of our lives.

Making pizza with the staff at La Bussola after dinner.

Tasting 6 new bottles of great wines at Pinchiorri.

Getting ready for my fourth course.

Until we recognize and live in accord with our unique underlying purposes, our lives may feel like puzzles with missing pieces; we may sense that there's something we're here to do, but not quite grasp what it is. So we may work and rest, eat and sleep, make money and spend it, and have our share of pleasures and difficulties, yet still find that any fundamental recognition of our purpose in life eludes us.

Enjoying authentic Italian pizza at Caffe Donnini in Florence.

Let's go find more food!

"Money, fine clothes, fancy cars, public acknowledgement are no substitute for purpose. When you know your purpose, you know you are about the business of what you are here to do; you are on purpose. With purpose, you have vision. With purpose, you have clarity. With purpose, you have the support, power, and blessings of the universe at your disposal" (emphasis added).
-- Iyanla Vanzant