Figuring It Out
If you were to ask a group of people if they’ve found their “life’s calling,” you’re sure to get mixed responses. Finding a life path that feels fulfilling, purposeful, and tailor made for your skills and interests is easier said than done. In my experience, true callings shine like guiding beacons and more less subtle, flickering lights. You really have to slow down and pay attention in order to find them.
Here are a few ideas I’ve come up with when finding my calling. I hope these can help you start to take meaningful action to uncover your calling (s).
1. Notice Dreams And Signs
Pay attention to the things that happen in your life, the people you meet, the things you notice, the places your drawn to, and the dreams you have when you’re asleep. Don’t worry as much about what you saw in your dream, but how it made you feel. I keep a pad and pen by my bed to write down my reflections, especially if I’m awakened right after the dream. Question what they could be telling you about how you subconsciously feel about you waking life.
2. Prioritize Creative Expression
Creativity leads to discovery. It’s normal to feel like you don’t have time to live a creative life, so if you have to start small. Set aside a few minutes everyday to draw, write, or simply daydream.
3. Think About What You Used To Love
What did you love to do or want to be when you were very young, before you were asked to ‘fit’? How did you play as a child? What were you curious about? How did you think? The answers to these questions might hold a clue to your life’s calling.
4. Notice Whats Feels Good
When we are living in a state of flow and ease, we are connected, joyful, expressive, loving and purposeful. Notice times in your daily life that you feel like this. What are you doing? Who are you with? Do more of it.
5. Turn Down The Distractions
Ask yourself what distractions you currently love the most: Maybe it’s television, social media, or email. Once you’ve gotten honest with yourself about your distractions, gently question how you can start to replace them with that thing that feels good. Doing so might be uncomfortable at first, since we love distractions for a reason. They stop us from facing things we don’t have to, or having to answer difficult questions. But consciously opting to turn down the volume on our distractions, one notch at a time, will allow more stillness and possibility to enter our lives.
6. Pay attention To What Keeps Coming Back
Your truth never goes away, even if you ignore that firstperiod nagging, recurring thoughts, give us clues as to what will really satisfy us, so pay attention to yours.
7. Try New Things Regularly
The process of finding joy isn’t passive, and a more fulfilling life won’t appear in a puff of smoke. Often times, knowing what’s right for you will require trying out a lot of things that feel wrong. Once you start to listen to your inner voice, and reflect on, what made you happy during childhood, question, how are you gonna start to bring those things to life in your current reality. If you loved interior design as a kid, commit to redecorating, one part of your space, and notice how it feels. If painting has always piqued your interest, buy a set of watercolors in a single rush, and see what it’s like to create.
8. Find A Way To Connect With Something Outside Yourself Daily
Get out in nature, practice, meditation, explore what spirituality means to you. The actions will help us, put our life in perspective and remind us of the larger forces at play.
9. Shake Up Your Routine
Get out of your normal routine change your environment, it can work wonders to shift your perspective. It can be as simple as taking a different route home from work or drinking your morning coffee outside. Find the adventure in every day things.
10. Be Patient
Discovering and honing, your path in life doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a continual journey. Be compassionate with yourself along the way. Treat yourself, your practices, and the world with patience.
While it might take some intention and effort, figuring out what your calling is -how you can live a life that’s in the highest service to yourself and others is well worth it.
From Pity to Praise 