YOUR CALLING

Todd Dewett | August 6, 2020

When you feel called to do something, you really don’t have a choice, do you?  It’s an overwhelming feeling.  It’s when an activity or vocation suddenly becomes an imperative – something you simply must do.  It’s positive, powerful, and invigorating.  It provides you with clarity.  It pushes you forward with purpose and passion.

That’s amazing.  However, most people never find their calling.

Sometimes they just don’t find it.  Other times, they find it, but they ignore the call.  They succumb to the fears.  The fear of failure.  The fear of judgment.  The fear of the unknown.  They say it’s not practical and convince themselves to chase a safer outcome.  That’s not necessarily a bad choice, but it’s rarely inspiring.

So, get inspired.  It’s time to increase your odds of success.

Become an explorer.  Read different things, sample music widely, enjoy different shows, enjoy multiple hobbies.  Make your network diverse.  Research a large number of vocations.  Read books that help guide your thinking.  Talk to strangers and learn their stories.  The more you seek new information and experiences, the more likely you’ll find your calling.

Choose to accept your calling.  When you do, at first you will feel great elation, but, this is quickly followed by fear and confusion.  Am I worth it?  Can I do this?  What about all of the risks?  Yes, you’re worth it.  Yes, you can do it.  You’ll learn to mitigate the risks if you allow the decision to help you grow and evolve.  Don’t make excuses.  Life is what you make it.  Start making it great.

Realize you have a lot of work to do.  Think long-term.  Know that climbing the mountain happens one step at a time, so start working now to ensure you’re taking the right steps.  Forging a new path will consume many hours, so master the use of your time.  Learn to be thoughtful and make the hours count.  Expect new learning curves.  Nobody becomes great overnight.  It takes repetition, study, patience, and gratitude.

Protect your positivity.  Define success and stay focused.  Imagine success, daily.  Close your eyes and see yourself achieving what you’ve defined.  It’s a scene in a movie and you’re the star.  Stressed?  Distracted?  Feeling down?  Close your eyes and remember what you are chasing.  To supercharge your efforts, remember that context matters.  That means a person might need to be cut from your life if they are a threat to your positive mental outlook.  Similarly, another person might need to play a larger role.  Life is short, demand positivity and constructive attitudes.

So, what are you doing with your life?

Granted, if you listen to the call, you might fail.  Try again.  Try several times.  If trouble persists, that is okay.  What matters is that you try.  “The unexamined life is not worth living,” Socrates uttered.  It’s not that all righteous efforts will work out.  They won’t.  The fact that you tried is what makes you special.  Keep exploring.  Keep trying.  Another calling is likely to materialize.  That is a life worth living.