5 Ways to Discover or Get Clear on Your Calling

There is something that you feel is yours to do in the world. It feels like it’s so close and yet so far. It’s not easy to grasp for some of us. And you can have more than one calling in a lifetime.

Why is it that some people are born knowing what they are here to do and others seem to always be searching?

I think it’s because some callings have a ready form to fit into and some don’t.

For instance, my step-son seems to have always known he was a musician and specifically a guitarist. He had fine motor skills as a baby and when he finally got a guitar in his hand at 12 he was off and running. He’s a death metal guitarist with his own band and they have four albums to date.

Some of us have a calling that doesn’t have a ready-made mold or one that is rather nebulous. And some of us have to create the mold which can cause confusion and difficulty in pinning it down.

To add to the confusion a calling is often bigger than simply expressing as a musician, minister or life coach. Someone called to heal could be a doctor, minister, herbalist, Reiki Master, life coach, etc.

For instance, I feel called to empower and inspire people. I’ve tried on many hats in which I did these things, but it wasn’t until recently I finally found one that fit.

There have always been clues, though. I just happened to be a little slow at actually following my intuition since I have a strong connection to my logical brain. But my intuition is hearty and wouldn’t let me ignore it forever.

To help you move through the confusion here are some ways to gain clarity on your calling.

Revisit your childhood

I think this is one the best ways to gain clarity on your calling. Our childhoods are rich with clues.

Get a pen and paper and start writing about all the things you loved to do as a child. And I mean loved to do. You’re going to use that blissful feeling to help you get clear on your calling.

This needs to done as if you’re writing an essay or story. Just writing a list can stunt the process of gaining access to all the nuances, feelings and little clues that are in your memory.

Once you have written a couple of pages, you can create a list to help you see any patterns. Often one will emerge.

Now ask yourself if you still do any of these things. Think hard on this because you may still do them, but in a slightly different form. If you don’t, ask yourself why that is.

With one or a few things now brought forth from your memory see if there is a pattern or if the one thing is specific see if it applies to an overarching theme.

For instance, I remember that I enjoyed making up stories with my dolls and later I wrote them in my head and on paper, I loved to learn and pretend I was in school as both teacher and student, and I was endlessly curious about the spiritual world.

Telling stories was a way to understand the world as well as inspire and empower others. Playing school was a way to learn more and empower others by teaching them what I learned. My curiosity about the spiritual world was about learning so I could tell people about it. I always wanted to learn and then teach. My calling is to inspire and empower.

Explore your life now

Some people have a hard time digging around in their past. You don’t have to go there in order to discover or get clear on your calling. You can look at the present and see the clues.

This is kind of like the exercise above except you stick to what you do now. It’s okay to go back to 10 years ago when you used to hike or bike or did something that you loved, but for some reason no longer do.

Again write it as an essay or story. This time think of those things that truly put you in the flow.

Flow is a mental state of pure concentration in the moment on what you’re doing. It’s happiness in action. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a professor of psychology and management, created the notion of flow. You’ve probably felt it when doing something so well that you seemed to do it effortlessly and lost track of time.

Pull from your story or essay those things where you get in the flow.

What patterns do you see? What stands out? Do you see an overarching theme?

Your calling is something that puts you in the flow, makes you happy and is something you would do even if you never got paid. In fact you’re probably doing it at the higher theme level now even if you don’t think you know your calling. It’s just harder to pinpoint at that level.

Do a visioning

Visioning is not about experiencing an inner picture of what you would like. Visioning is a process of going within and surrendering to what the highest outcome is to be for yourself or any project. It’s being open to Spirit and the messages that come through.

These messages can be in the form of words, phrases, images or feelings. You then take what you receive and see how it can be implemented in your life.

You do this process by getting centered and ready to receive. Then you answer four key questions:

1. What is the highest unfolding for my life?
2. What do I need to release to bring this vision into manifestation?
3. What do I need to embrace?
4. Is there anything else I should know?

Receive answers to each question individually letting what needs to come through to come through. Stop and go to your receptive mode in between each question.

Once finished, take time to contemplate your answers until you see how you may implement.

Take a typology test

Aptitude tests or typology tests like the Myers Briggs certainly don’t tell you exactly what you’re capable of, but they can help you see patterns and give you some ideas. Only take from it what resonates.

Take the Myers Briggs test here.

Visit the future

Do a self-guided meditation where you imagine your life 10 years from now. The distance from the present will allow your mind to move into daydream or pretend mode where you’re freer to let loose.

This envisioning process has a little bit of the message from Spirit that visioning does as well as your own ideas and feelings. Of course, when we’re in alignment, these two are the same.

Ask yourself:

1. What does my life look like? Paint a picture or describe to yourself where you live,
   your house, etc.
2. What do I see myself doing every day? Imagine what a day in your life looks like.
3. How do I feel during this day? Conjure up the feelings you’d like to feel every day.

All of these processes will bring your calling further into the light. Sometimes you’ll have that A-ha! moment and sometimes you’ll need more time to ruminate. Talking with someone who can be objective can help you get clear faster. And doing more than one of these can help, too.

Let me know what you come up with. If you get stuck, feel free to contact me for a free Heart-to-heart session. No strings attached.

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