There’s this old story about a musk deer, a small animal that lives in the mountains of South Asia.

One day, when this musk deer was very young, he noticed the most beautiful scent. The musk deer followed it, walking for miles yet never finding its source. He tried again the next day and still had no luck. So, he tried once more the following day, and then again after that, and so on.

Finding the source of this smell became the musk deer’s life mission.

Fast forward several years, and now the musk deer has traveled far and wide. He’s as determined as ever—but weary. One day, the musk deer is searching and, in his exhaustion, stumbles to the forest floor. On the way down, his tooth wounds him badly.

As the musk deer lies dying on the forest floor, his nose draws near to his belly for the first time, and he perceives the enchanting aroma. All along, it has been emanating from within him.

This story is often portrayed as tragic—the musk deer realizes too late that what he had been searching for all along was within him the whole time. But I find it to be the opposite of tragic.

The story of the musk deer reminds us that our purpose, what we’ve been searching for, is often within us. Too often, we search out there, but forget to look inside.

Search for your Inner Sky

In the Vedic tradition, there’s a beautiful concept known as the Inner Sky. You can spend your entire life trying to get to the moon, reaching outward—but the sky is within you. You must look inward. Inward into your pain. Inward into your background. Inward into how you can help others through what you’ve experienced.

I try to help people find their purpose because I was looking for mine. And finding it changed my life.

The key to finding your purpose and living it each and every day is to understand that it’s a relationship. Like a loyal friend, it’s always there. Nobody can take it away from you.

Like any relationship, it takes effort and work. It's not always easy, but it’s worth the challenge.

So let me ask you something: How do you talk with your closest friends? How do you show them you care? How do you prioritize them?

You can think of your relationship with your purpose the same way. How would you define that relationship right now? Are you an attentive friend? Or a neglectful one? Is it complicated, or are things steady?

If guilt comes up for you, take a deep breath. Finding your purpose is a life-long journey, and it’s natural that the relationship has its ebbs and flows. Awareness of where you’re at is the first step. 

Try this: I’m going to give you some journal prompts to mull over for the next couple of days. Once you have a clear sense of your relationship status and your purpose, I have a challenge for you.

Journal prompts:

• When have I felt most aligned with my purpose?

• What external pressures have caused me to veer away from my purpose?

• What would protecting my purpose look like in daily life?

One caveat. While purpose often comes from within, external support—whether from mentors, experiences or professional guidance—can also help clarify your path. There’s no single way to find fulfillment; every journey is unique.

Your purpose doesn’t have to be big. It doesn’t have to take over the world. But it’s there, it’s yours and it’s the key to awakening your soul. So invest some time into it. The world will be forever grateful that you did.

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author
Host of the On Purpose Podcast
Creator of the Jay Shetty Certification School