There are two things you should know about heeding The Call of Your Calling:
1. It’s extremely liberating.
You (or, in this case, ‘Me’) can go from trying to cram the entire ocean into a delicate teacup, and the amount of sheer energy and willpower this frees up on a daily basis is incredible. Seriously, before I spoke with Dr. Divi, I felt like the Mother Loving Hoover Dam– holding everything together, resisting, keeping everything in its place, figuring things out, and making things work in a real stoic, concrete sort of manner. When she told me not to restrict the flow and to make every interaction an opportunity for healing, aahhhhhhhhh, I burst open in the most glorious and epic of ways! WHOOSH!! Out poured love, and energy, and my signature animated (read: awkward!) style of relating to other people. I entertained others with my stories and interpretive dance moves at the harbour! HEALING. I started coaching women outside of the harbour! HEALING. I looked like a maniac on my bike to and from work, declaring emphatically and most definitely out loud that I WAS A HEALER! (And guess what? That was healing, too! Well… it was healing for me and probably hilarious for witnesses.) Anyway. I treated the whole summer as an experiment in healing, and I emerged from the harbour season more exhilarated than exhausted for once.
Watch in wonder as I insert photos of local humpback whales randomly throughout this post! Exhilarating!
That said, here’s the other thing you should know about heeding The Call of Your Calling:
2. It’s absolutely terrifying.
More terrifying than a humpback whale waving hello to you.
The Over-Achiever, Type A part of me likes to plan everything down to the last detail. Preferably in advance. I’ll figure out exactly what it takes to excel in a given situation, and then I’ll do it. Easy, right? Do I need to earn 6 credits in the History of Who Really Cares in order to graduate from this academic program? Consider it done. Should I eat nothing but cardboard and cabbage for 6 months in order to lose weight? That doesn’t sound so bad! Is it time to go play Perfect Daughter In Law at Marty’s parents’ place in Calgary? No problem– I’ll just prepare forty allergy-friendly recipes in advance and haul them in my backpack for 800 miles on the effin’ Greyhound bus. Whatever it takes– just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.
Tell me how to wave like a humpback whale, and I’ll do it.
It’s different when it’s Your Calling, though.
Nobody but YOU can step into Your Calling.
Nobody but YOU can gauge how easily you slip into that garment and how well it fits.
It’s not about “planning”; it’s about claiming.
It’s not about “controlling”; it’s about trusting.
The compass shifts inward. The metrics become intuitive. And in a way, this is really exciting! But in another way, perhaps for a woman who is used to somebody older and more authoritative telling her how to get an A and then being done with it all? Well. It can be downright petrifying.
* * * *
Just another day at the office…
Ahem. I am being Called, dear readers. And– finally– I am bowing at the feet of this Call, accepting this sacred invitation. I say yes now.
I am opening myself to healing and being healed.
I am committing myself to honesty, vulnerability, unadulterated freedom, and unabashed joy!
Part of this Calling involves working one-on-one with women as a coach. (I have started to do this already and am pretty amazed at the feedback I’ve received so far.)
Another part involves exploring the self-imposed limitations I’ve placed on myself in real time– self-written rules for how much love, joy, abundance, and freedom are “allowed” in my life before it’s time to call in the authorities and to turn the volume down. This will take place… soon. And out in the ‘field’ of life, at that! All that’s left to do is:
– finish packing up everything we own– again
– move out of the place we just moved into– uh-huh (last day is October 31!)
– dive heart-first into the adventurous unknown
Yes. I have heard The Call, and I have answered. Hello, this is Dana speaking…
zona pellucida 
You can add “visited a friend who just went through major surgery and created an incredible sense of warmth, friendship and love at a time when she really needed it” to your list! I’m not surprised you’re a healer. I know we aren’t SUPER close friends who spend every waking minute together, but I do feel a connection with you – and I feel like I could tell you anything. Likely a big part of starting on your journey? An uptight person likely wouldn’t be a good candidate for a good healer.
This is exciting! (I can understand the terrifying aspect too.)
This seriously means A TON to me, J. Thank you so much for saying it! I think we have one of those “deep without needing to spend a million hours together” type of friendships. It’s quality, not quantity, that counts. 🙂
This is wonderful, beautiful, exciting stuff! Can’t wait to hear what awaits you in the adventurous unknown ♥
Hooray! I’m pretty stoked already, and I will be even more so when all of the boxes are in storage. Heh.
Wonderful! I’m anxious to see where this leads you!
Don’t get too anxious, though. We don’t want your blood pressure to skyrocket. 😉
xoxo
xoxoxox
This is very exciting, and yes it’s scary – but good scary. May you continue to find delight and wonder as you step in to your calling.
Good scary is right! I feel like I’m on a rollercoaster, but it has been fun and exciting so far. Onward and upward!
Dana – You are what I tell my students is PUCH (pronounced “puck”):
Positive
Uplifting
Constructive
Healing
Thank you for BEing YOU.
This is so sweet, Laurie! I’m happy to be PUCH. 🙂
How incredibly and utterly delightful! I’m so glad to be able to witness your blossoming (as well as being on the receiving end of your healing ministrations). I feel SO deeply your struggles to let go of the *need* to perform to exacting and specific metrics and when the measurements are more amorphous feeling like “well, how do I KNOW whether I did it well or not?!?!?” (I hope that made sense… I’m reading it and I’m not sure whether it does but I can’t figure out how to edit it either. Oh well!) Lots of hugs & excitement to see where your next journeys take you!!
I’m so happy for you. This is something I must do. Release the self imposed ties and jump through the fear and follow the calling (I just wish I knew what mine was – maybe i do, but not consciously!).
Yay you !! xx
I’m sure you know on a deep level, Nic. My “healing” calling has always been there, but I guess I’ve attached different labels to it throughout my whole life, rendering it less recognizable in most cases. I think our “callings” boil down to a simple essence of something, rather than a specific job title or a concise program name. I hope you are well!
Looking forward to reading more about this next chapter in your life. Loving the pictures!
Thanks! xx
Wow. Your leap of faith is truly inspiring…and petrifying, as you mention. I really don’t think I could do it, but I look forward to hearing more of your journey. Hope the move is going well.
It’s definitely a journey requiring courage, that’s for sure. Luckily, it’s a moment-to-moment thing, so even if I’m feeling wayward and scared at one point, it doesn’t always have to be that way.
I don’t know how I missed this wonderful post, Dana. I enjoyed the whales, but most of all I enjoyed your enthusiasm. Beautiful! ❤
Thanks, Robin! Holy, I’ve been away from the internet for a long time, but I appreciate you stopping by and catching the enthusiasm bug. 🙂 Hope you are well!