Honouring Your Callings + Desires

How to know when to pursue your life’s calling

January 29, 2020

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I love what I do. I love nothing more than to see a woman embrace who she really is and then have the courage to express that through her body of work in the world.

 

For a while I had a streak of conversations with a few women and days later they would call or email me excitedly to say…

 

“I listened to your advice and I’m going to quit my job!”

 

My initial reaction was one of pride!

 

“Woohoo! You’re doing it. You can make it happen. I see you doing X,Y, Z. This feels so right.”

 

And then I’d move on to fear…

 

“Hang on, I didn’t tell you to quit. You came up with that answer by yourself!”

 

Deep down I was worried that if things went wrong these women would come back to me and blame me for their poor decisions.

 

Ridiculous, I know. But I’m here to share with you the truth. 

 

The thing is, having these conversations and talking openly and honestly about what was going on for them and what they truly wanted allowed these women to embrace their true feelings and desires and then take the action that felt right to them.

 

It was almost like a permission slip was granted and they could go off and do what their hearts truly desired. 

 

For many women I’ve spoken to, pursuing their life’s calling was the right answer and not a crazy thing to do.

Siobhan Barnes - Career coach

Unfortunately, I can’t coach everyone and personally guide them through this process….

 

So in this week’s article I want to explore what it means when something is your calling and support you in figuring out how to pursue your life’s calling. 

 

Hint: I’m not going to give you the answer, you’re going to do that all by yourself. You know I don’t believe in cookie-cutter approaches to success. So let’s get to it!

 

Here are my 3 steps to get you started to pursue your life’s calling.

 


 

Step #1: Get quiet and consult with your inner wisdom

 

I’m a big believer in getting quiet and listening to the answers within you. Because the truth is you already know! You just might be having some trouble accessing that part of you who does.

 

Side note: If you want to access your inner wisdom, you can download the free Soul Aligned Woman Activation Audio that will support you in building this connection for yourself. You can download it HERE. 

 

Before going into the meditation think about what questions you have that you’d like to get clarity on.

 

Some questions might be:

 

+ What is the right next move in my career right now?

+ What do I need to know about pursuing X path?

+ Is there anything I need to think through before making the leap to pursue my career calling?

 

Action Step: Do the Soul Aligned Woman Activation Audio and then record the answers that you get. 

 


 

Step #2: Think and feel through the answer that you get.

 

Look over the answers you got to your questions.

 

What was the guidance you received?

 

Sometimes it:

 

+ makes sense. Other times it doesn’t. 

+ feels like the right thing to do. Other times it can feel super scary and daunting.

Our lizard brain can over analyse and rationalise what we’re told and perhaps even discount the answers we get (are we just plain crazy?). But trust me, those answers you get are your higher, wiser self giving you guidance to help you get back on track.

If you’re reacting negatively and beating yourself up about taking a particular action, this could be your inner critic aka inner mean girl aka lizard brain trying to keep you safe.

To get around this, you’ve also got to feel through the answers that you get. 

Siobhan Barnes - Hong Kong Life Coach Career Coach - Beach Image6

Yes I said “feel” I know that seems a little feminine and woo-woo, but remember I’m a sensitive type and I believe that drawing this out of ourselves can be an asset. 

 

So play with me, OK?

 

Rationalise…yes, but also feel into the answer. 

 

Your rational brain may be reacting, but before discounting the answer, check in with your body. Do you feel lighter, calmer, excited, happier, etc? Your emotions are often more powerful and accurate than your brain. 

 

Action Step: Think and feel through the answers that you were given and note what comes up for you. 

 


 

Step #3: Make a decision on what you’re going to do

 

It’s time to take action. You asked your burning question. You got some answers. Now it’s time to make a decision on what to do next. 

 

Are you going to listen? 

Are you going to take a small action step? 

Are you ready to make a big move?

Make a decision to do something. Anything. And remember not making a decision is still a choice and has consequences.

 

Look, you don’t have to quit your job and pursue your career calling.

 

Maybe the action step is to:

 

+ Read a book

+ Take a course

+ Take up a hobby

+ Find your first client

+ Take a sabbatical

+ Find an internship

 

Action Step: Make a decision on what your next action step is.

Siobhan Barnes - Hong Kong Life Coach Career Coach - Beach Image13

So there you have it, the 3 steps to knowing when to pursue a career / life calling or when you’re just plain crazy.

 

Step #1: Get quiet and consult with the Soul Aligned Woman within

Step #2: Think and feel through the answer that you get

Step #3: Make a decision on what you’re going to do

If you’re ready to do something bold, the Soul Aligned Woman within will tell you. If you’re not, it’ll tell you what action to take instead. 

 

You’ve got this. Trust yourself. Keep going. The world needs your light.

 

Now I want to hear from you:

 

+ Do you have an idea on what your career calling is?

+ What’s your next step to take action in pursuing your purpose?

 

 

With love,

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