EVERYBODY HAS A CALLING

 

 

Our calling, our passion, our dream, this is the part of our lives that gets overlooked because we are too busy with the daily grind. There is so much going on in our lives that we have forgotten about the things we used to do that made us forget about time. Who has the time to get lost in an activity that makes us forget about time?

Remember when we were kids and there was one thing that would hold our attention, one thing that we loved to do that was not structured into our time? Remember when we would have so much fun playing for hours? A time, when time was lost. Whatever that was, whatever we were doing, that was our passion. As children we had the luxury of having the time to do what it was we loved to do. But is there a way to recapture that? Is there a way of remembering what it was we were called to do?

 

 Maybe with everything that is going on in our lives we have forgotten that we even have a passion or a calling. Maybe as we grew up we forgot what it was that we loved to do. The problem may be that we have gotten so wrapped up in something that is not fulfilling. The problem may be that we are doing something just because that is what we have to do, or that is what we paid thousands of dollars to go to college for, and now we are sorry we did, or even doing something that started out to be the thing we were passion about, but now we have lost our excitement for it. If any of this sounds familiar, then its time to reevaluate our lives. By looking back over our lives we can find the one thing that we persist in doing year after year. There is something that we make time for or think about often, no matter how busy life gets. This is our calling.

If we can take the time to listen to the "still, quiet place" inside of ourselves, then we will hear "the calling" of what we were meant to do. But, we have to take the time to get to that place. We have to carve out some time for ourselves that doesn't revolve around anyone else but us. Probably the hardest thing to do is find quiet time in the midst of chaos. But, there is chaos because we allow chaos. We all need quiet time, and its up to us to teach our children about quiet time, so that when they grow up, they won't have the same issues that we do. If we make quiet time a part of our family routine, then everyone can have some time to think about what it is they are called to do.


When it comes to our children we should be teaching them a sense of purpose, of  being needed by those in the larger world who have no advocate. This can be a way for families to come together to pursue a family calling. As a family we can think about whose pain we want to ease. Coming together as a family and planning a way to make the world a better place can only bring peace, harmony and joy to the world and to our families. As a parent or as parents, we have the responsibility to be role models when it comes to following our passion and finding our calling in life.


Lets not confine ourselves to the expectations of others that can stand in the way of our calling. We should celebrate the things about ourselves that make us different. These differences are what point us to what we should be doing in our lives. Listen, if we are not happy with our lives and we wish things could be better, then who will make it better? What kinds of lessons are we teaching our children? Making sure that we do this for ourselves is important, but making sure our children do this for themselves can save their future, making it easier for all of us to find our calling.


Look, when we hear the question, "Who are you meant to be?" we seem to think that the answer has to be something huge. But, it doesn't have to be huge, we can start small, by doing something to make us feel better. Not perfect or different, just better. Taking a look at what is missing from our lives, can get us started. What is it that would complete us and make us feel whole again? There is always something we can do to make us feel like we are making a difference. Those that have children, can get them involved, those that don't, can use the people who are around them to get involved, or how about finding children that need to be mentored and use our passion as a teaching tool? What better way to use our calling?


Every day we are learning something about ourselves. Some of the things we learn are about the things we do want, but there are also those lessons that teach us what we don't want. Anything that we are doing out of obligation or because we "have to" should wake us up and show us what we need to change in our lives. By knowing what we don't want, then we know what to let go of to get the things we do want. All of the negative things that are in our lives are what teach and guide us to the positive things in our lives, if we take the time to evaluate them. Instead of being engulfed by self pity, we can stop and think, "How is this getting me closer to my calling?" If the answer is, "its not", then let go of it and don't dwell on it any longer. Its not your calling.


Each day gives us a chance to make choices and decisions that can allow us to look back on our lives and have no regrets. Every time we make a decision to do something we hate or something we love, we have made a choice for the direction of our life. Think about all the decisions leading up to where we are now and see if there are any regrets. If so, then we can start changing the way we make our decisions. Taking a good hard look at why we make the decisions we make and learning how to make choices that are better suited for us. That is how we can live our calling.


Our passion, our calling, our dreams are not always what we do to make a living. If we are only concerned about making money, then we are only concerned about our own lives. Living our passion, is what we do when we can't imagine ourselves doing anything else. Looking at our lives with purpose and passion brings in a whole new light and gives us unlimited joy, whether it is baking cupcakes or hanging drywall, it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is answering the question, "Am I following my calling?"