If you feel called or compelled to do something in this world, it’s also highly likely that a part of you feels scared out of your wits.
Committing to a future that feels uncertain is no easy feat. Pursuing your calling will likely require you to be incredibly vulnerable and will force you to face your fear head on. All of that is scary.
When you feel a tug from the Universe and called to action, you can expect there will come a time on your personal journey where it almost feels as though you are standing on a cliff’s edge and you either need to jump into the deep unknown, and commit to what you feel passionate about, or retreat and make the decision that following the call is too big of a risk to take. It is a decision only you can make.
As I stand at this point on the edge of uncertainty, I can only describe it as a tugging at my heart. I feel called to write, share and inspire. Your calling may be to paint, to create, to start your own business or to begin standing up for a cause you believe in. There are no restrictions on what the Universe may be tugging at you to begin moving towards. We all have unique paths to walk.
While contemplating my commitment I am constantly being met by my own resistance. I doubt whether I have the tenacity or gut-strength to handle the journey. The fear is overwhelming.
As I gather up the courage to leap off the cliff edge and see if I can truly fly, here are 3 questions that have helped me quell that fear and solidify my commitment to what the Universe is asking of me. Hopefully they can help you too.
1. What would it feel like to not pursue what is calling you?
If I turned my back on the urge I feel to write, what would that feel like? For me, the pain of considering that one question feels crushing. The idea of walking away from my dream without even trying would feel like locking my heart up in a prison. I’ve become comfortable with the fact that even if I fail, at the end of my life that would feel less painful than never having tried.
“When the pain of staying put exceeds the fear of the unknown, Leap.” – Lissa Rankin.
2. What is the alternative to not following what you feel called to?
If I wasn’t pursuing my calling, what would I be doing instead? For me, that immediately brings back visions of my former career in corporate consulting. I enjoyed it at the time, but to think about going back feels suffocating. I have grown and my needs have changed. To try and stuff myself back into a box that I would now feel too big for, scares me more than leaping off the proverbial cliff.
“Love what you do and do what you love.” – Ray Bradbury.
3. What does a “successful life” look and feel like to you?
We live in a society where the dominant view is that success looks like money, material stuff and power. I used to buy into this view, but when I stop to assess what I now think a successful life looks and feels like, I realize how much my needs have changed. For me, success now looks like the freedom to work my own hours, the ability to be around for my children during the day, being able to express my creativity, and having the ability to touch the hearts of others. If I have to forfeit money, material stuff, and power in order to have these things, then that is okay. Knowing my definition of success lets me know that the personal price of retreating and going back to my former life is too high.
“Success isn’t about how much money you make. It’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” – Michelle Obama.
There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. They are merely pointers to help you tease out what is in your heart.
It may not be the right time to pursue what pulls at you. What is calling you may be inconsistent with your definition of success and the personal price of leaping off the proverbial cliff may feel too high – and that is okay. Or you may be like me, and when you can push aside the inherent fear that is blurring your vision and get to the heart of the matter, the choice to jump and commit to your dreams becomes clear.
