The title of this post sounds kind of esoteric, I know. It’s not meant to be. It’s quite literally true in my opinion. This isn’t necessarily about a divine calling, although it could be. It’s also about a very natural, tangible process.
How so? All we need to do is look at a few examples given to us by one of, if not our best teachers; Nature. And there are plenty to choose from.
You don’t have to be a farmer to know that many seeds need to be sown in order to reap a few sprouts. All we need to do is look around us.
We see tons of seeds laying around us in nature. Some of them will transform into beautiful foliage, some will be food for people or other animals, and some will become compost.
How about the sales process? You know, the process of providing the lifeblood of any business. Obviously we have to talk to many people to book a few presentations, and then out of those appointments we acquire a few customers.
I assert it’s the same process that occurs with people and our work. I believe all of us are born with all the stuff we need to create exactly the life, inside and outside of work, we want.
I believe all of us are called, but few are chosen to actually live that life. I get that this is where it gets tricky and that you don’t necessarily believe the same thing. That’s okay. Perhaps this is just food for thought.
We’re all born with a unique flavor of power that is always accessible. We all have greatness within. All you have to do is remember back when you were a kid when you believed it was okay to daydream. Or maybe you had no thought of whether or not it was okay, you just did it.
You wanted to be a fireman, play sports professionally, be a doctor, an entrepreneur, or end world hunger. You thought little of how you would do it. There was simply something in you tugging at you to follow this path.
This ability to dream is our power. We have this ability to see a vision and create all the moving parts associated with it in our mind. We also have the power to act on any vision we can see with our mind’s eye.
While growing up something happened to all of us. We learned from our environment how to protect ourselves. We were confronted by parents, teachers, friends, other authoritative figures, and the media.
During this process most people learned to follow something other than their dreams. They either learned to go the practical route, or they gave up all together and learned to do whatever they needed to do to survive.
Notice I said most people. At one point we were all called to follow our heart’s desires. Sad, but true. I think the important thing to consider is that this can change for anyone at any time. More on that further along in this post.
What It Means To Be Chosen
This begs the question, “How do I know if I’ve been chosen?”. Good question. It’s more of a feeling than anything else.
Look, just because you wanted to be a pro athlete when you were a kid and now you do something else doesn’t necessarily mean you haven’t been chosen. You may be doing something completely different now, but your gut tells you this is it. This is right.
You feel happy and excited when it’s time to get out of bed and get ready for work. You figuratively jump for joy when thinking about your work or what you, and others, get out of it.
You have a calling, not a job. You’re led by passion, commitment and perseverance. Meaning even if there are aspects of your work that you’d rather not do sometimes, you still do it because there’s something bigger and better you get out of completing the task.
Anything else just doesn’t feel right. You might make more money somewhere else. You might work less hours somewhere else. You might have better benefits somewhere else. Doesn’t matter. You do what you do because it’s your calling.
What if you’re at a job you don’t like and you feel like you’re destined to be doing something else? That means you’re being called, but right now, you haven’t been chosen.
You have a huge opportunity right now to choose something different. Herein lies the answer to another great question. Who does the choosing anyway? You do. I do. We all do.
Most of the time, if anyone else chose for us, we haven’t been chosen, oddly enough. Being chosen is an inside job. It’s not like being picked for the team. We’ve been chosen because we said so. Because we did the choosing.
This is a blessing and a curse. It means we’re responsible for where we are now and also for making a change. We get to choose at any time.
I invite you to choose now. I know it’s scary. I know it’s hard. I know other people will probably call you crazy. I invite you to do it anyway because power comes from choosing, not from waiting to see what happens.
What To Do Once You Know You’re One Of The Few
You’ve realized you’re one of the few. Now what? That depends on several factors personal to you that I wouldn’t pretend to know.
There are a few things to do, however, that reign true across the board. They are as follows.
If you’ve taken a look at how you feel about your life and work and have deemed yourself one of the few, take a moment and pat yourself on the back. And now, keep going. Regardless of the pain and struggle you feel at times, keep going.
If you’re one who’s identified you’re in a job, not a calling, and you want to create something different for yourself, great. Begin now. And begin at all costs.
Yes. I’m asking you to be scared, and do it anyway. I’m asking you to not know how, and do it anyway. I’m asking you to have the odds stacked against you, and do it anyway. Because I believe you deserve to know what it feels like to be one of the few who lives a purpose filled life.
Whether you’re one of the few and you know it, or you’re in the process of choosing this new path for yourself, you need to keep going at all costs. You need to never stop.
Life throws an incalculable number of curve balls regardless of whether or not you’ve been chosen. I’m pretty sure most people would agree.
So, why not build up your perseverance muscles and forge the path of the few? It’s just like exercising any other muscle. Keep going and the muscle will get stronger. Slow down or stop completely and the muscle will get weaker.
This path is obviously not for everyone. Hence the word few. I’d love to know your thoughts. Leave a comment or reach out anytime.