Do you have a Calling?

Many of us remember being asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  We gave answers according to our own dreams, our parent’s dreams, our teachers ‘dreams and sometimes even our friends’ dreams. Some of us didn’t give an answer at all. But there comes a time when we ask ourselves, “What do I want to do?” “Who do I want to be?”

My father was still very young when he decided to be a doctor.

Some people might say that is a Calling. Others think of it as a passion. I believe in my father’s case he just wanted to be someone he could respect. Medicine was his road map.

 What would you say is someone asked you “How did you arrive at where you are?”

I know most of us could share a few landmarks that guided us in one direction or another but I as far as I’m concerned I ‘m still in the process.

I think a far better question might be, “Do you love what you are doing right now?”

I recently read that 80 % of Americans do not like the work they are doing. I couldn’t find a comparative study for Australians, but I can only imagine it’s more or less the same.

We are taught that we have to do something, learn something, define who we are. That unless we earn good money, pass exams, grow our businesses, we are not succeeding.

 Rather than work being a necessary evil, is it possible to see our work as an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to our community, our town, city or even the world? I have heard people, (committed, spiritual people) say that unless you follow your Calling when you hear it, it may not happen again. Goodness.  We do make up some scary stories.

I think our Calling is that sense of alignment between who I am and what I do. And maybe, just maybe it changes as life changes. We look at ‘career’ as something we spend the next 30 years or 40 years practising but perhaps our career is simply an opportunity to find our voice and practise speaking up about things that matter to us.

 I believe our Calling, can occur a number of times throughout our life. In a religious sense a Calling is Spirit calling us to Itself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have, is invested with a  devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a response to this holy summons and service.

And for some it may well be just that.

However, and with every definition there is always an ‘however’, a Calling  may be a strong impulse calling us to an action. It may be our heart telling us the time has come to move forward, to turn a page or to begin a new story. A Calling can come to us at 18 or 81. And when we feel this impulse, this ache, this surge of possibility, we are given time to feel into it, to think about it, to wonder about it, to choose how and even if we want to go ahead. There is no punishment. There is no reward. There is only an outcome. If you act on the Calling, something will happen. And if you don’t, something else will happen. The key to this is simple. Every choice has two parts. We choose out of Love or we choose out of Fear. And the only question we need to ask ourselves is how am I choosing to answer the Call?

 As we are living longer lives than our fathers and grandfathers, it is very possible that we will have a few careers in our life time. We might hear that little voice calling us to go back and re-study something we love. Or we might turn around to our boss who has just given us a huge raise, reach out to shake his hand and place our resignation in it rather than taking the check. After years of study three of our five children discovered the degree they walked away with is not the work they want to do. So they have and will continue to dive deep and look into their hearts, and ask what is it that would bring them joy.

If joy and satisfaction are missing in our lives, there is no way we can ever feel fulfilled.

There’s an old saying that I love. If you ever want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.

 I thought I knew what my life might look like once I moved into our home 18 months ago.  I had reached my mid 60’s and looking after our two gorgeous grand daughters once a week was so much fun. Then there was gardening and reading and painting that filled my days, not to mention cooking for family and friends. The occasional trip rounded off a perfect ‘retirement’. However, (there it is again) I just couldn’t ignore a little voice that kept telling me there is more to teach, more to share,  more fun to be enjoyed. There is more than this.

As much as I love my family, my home, my garden and my adventures, teaching is also who I am.         `

Having said all that, I am so excited to announce I have created a new program that fills my heart with joy.

I would like to invite you to join me for the The 4P Living Program. This living program is a process that is simple to access at any time, and enables us to understand, move through and overcome the many challenging situations that naturally occur in all our lives. That being said I also call this program The 4P Process.

It commences on February 24.  It is a three month program that  combines The 12 Levels of Being with the themes in our lives that create and destroy our happiness and joy.

Registration can be made here.  I look forward to welcoming you as we discover together The 4P Process

Please feel free to contact me for further information.