Qualities of a Calling

Several years ago, I began to notice that my clients often came to coaching sessions to talk about a longing that they were experiencing in their life — a sense of call to do a particular project, or a certain kind of work, or to make a positive impact in the world in some particular way. As I listened closely, I began to notice that these were not just desires or impulses, but something more mysterious and sacred — they were callings.?

Over time I noticed that these callings shared several qualities — qualities I’ve also noticed with the callings that show up in my own heart, and I wrote up a list of those “common qualities of a calling.” I’ve loved sharing this list with all kinds of communities and hearing how much it resonates. I’m sharing it again today — as many of us are sitting with new callings that are showing up with the new year, or in this transitional time. Take a look and see what it shows you about what callings are speaking to you at this juncture in your life.?

How do you recognize a calling? Look for one or more of these clues:

1. You feel an unusually vivid pain or frustration around the status quo of a particular issue or topic. You strongly feel or clearly see what’s lacking.

2. You see a powerful vision — vague or clear — about what could be. That vision keeps filling your mind or tugging at your heart.

3. You feel inspired or even compelled to act. You have a mysterious, felt sense of “This work is mine to do.” You feel as if you’ve received an assignment, rather than that you chose the particular task or cause.

4. You find that actually doing the calling is a magical, strengthening process. While your inner critic might show up now and then, and while it’s hard work, you receive energy and a sense of meaning, and rightness, from doing it. You feel a kind of flow while working on it.

And… (these are the most important — and most surprising qualities of a calling)

5. You feel huge resistance. A part of you wants to run the other direction. You feel like the task is huge, and you just couldn’t possibly be up to it. It feels like this upends your plans, and doesn’t quite fit with what is convenient in your life. Keep this in mind: in the archetypal hero’s journey, step 1 is “hearing the call”. Step 2? “Resisting the call.” It’s normal. It’s part of the process. The key is eventually surrendering that resistance and stepping into the calling.

6. You don’t — yet — have everything you need to have to complete it. It’s not just irrational fear talking. It’s the truth. You don’t have everything you need. There is work to do, resources you will need to gather, and things you will need to make happen. That is a part of the beautiful stretch of the calling.

7. You aren’t — yet — the person you need to be to complete the calling. It’s true. It’s not just your inner critic. You aren’t quite up to the task. You don’t have all the qualities and strength you’ll need. And you’ll get them by doing the calling. Callings always grow us in some meaningful way. You will have to evolve, develop new capacities, and show up to life in new ways.

The callings that come to us want to be respected, not ignored or rationalized away. And they want us to give them expression in some way — but often small ways and small hours are plenty — plenty for giving us huge joy and fulfillment, and for bringing good into the world.

Whatever it is for you — that form of making art that is calling to you, that way of working with people, that project you’d love to do — just give it some air, some time, some of your allegiance and energy. That’s all it needs.

P.S. We will explore callings and much more in the Playing Big Facilitators Training, coming up soon. Visit here to learn more and join us for this special, in-depth program!?

Warmly,

Tara