Answering The Call
When life calls, pick up. It’s not easy to show up for difficult conversations and encounters but there’s a reason you’re being called...and the outcome may surprise you
—
Oh life, you’ve always got a way of showing up and teaching me something new (even when I’m really not welcoming it).
Never a dull moment with this Best Self-ing business — and I’m not talking about actual business, I’m talking about growth — healing, revealing, becoming.
Life always has a watchful eye upon us...Do you think she’s ready? And if you’re anything like me, you try to pay attention to the signs that your body, mind and spirit are constantly sending your way — from the physical to the emotional.
But...
We all get busy, we sidestep here, dismiss there, pretend we don’t feel the red flag slapping our cheek and eventually realize that we can’t outsmart what is calling to us — what is asking to be seen, heard, felt...healed.
UGH. You again?
One thing I’ve certainly learned to lean into rather than resist in my own life is that we can witness ourselves feeling victimized by life or we can learn to move closer to hear its guidance.
Hey, no one likes getting a result they hadn’t hoped for, being disappointed or just feeling like things aren’t going their way.
We’re all the same...we want what we want when we want it.
But we’ve all gleaned hindsight at one point or another, where we’ve realized that though we didn’t see it at the time it ultimately served us. The process may not be pretty but calm reserve and faith are our friends.
Deep breath.
I recently found myself dealing with some anxiety. Now, that’s not typical for me. It isn’t that I don’t feel stress, it’s just that I usually have ways to process it and outlets to release it.
This anxiety landed in my belly and clenched my diaphragm — and wasn’t letting go. It surprised me because it lingered, it woke me up in the middle of the night and had me a little jittery over the course of a few days.
My usual tricks didn’t work...so I sat with it. I asked it, What am I being called to see? What is this? What’s at the core? What do you want me to do with this?
Our answers are always found in our questions.
That doesn’t mean we get the answers instantly — or that we necessarily like what we hear. However, there’s no outsmarting energy...especially energy trapped within us, rattling us.
It needs an outlet — and if you don’t provide it with one — it will carve out its own and it might be sideways. I’m sure you can relate. We’ve all let things build up, bypassed our intuition, looked the other way, maybe even said regrettable words and taken regrettable actions. All of which could’ve been avoided.
The more attuned we become to our own energy and the energy swirling about us, the more sensitive we may feel — and I get how that isn’t always welcomed. Sometimes we are picking up on the energy of the room, the people around us, their issues, the collective sorrow and angst in the world.
We need to discern what is ours from what isn’t. That’ll help us recalibrate and understand what actually is ours to fix.
We need to be clear about what feeds our fear or nurtures our faith.
And the most powerful tool we can dust off from our toolbox is the one that reminds us to pull the plug from the power source.
What do I mean by that?
Well, first you want to get under the hood. What’s the true source of the agitation? Where does it stem from? What is it attached to? Does it have tentacles?
Like weeds in the garden, if we don’t get the roots — they grow right back.
That said, discomfort always comes bearing gifts. It’s pointing us in a direction of something we need to heal or a new path that’s ready to be revealed.
And sometimes we can find ourselves in a collective spin of energies — maybe a full moon, maybe Mercury Retrograde, maybe a personal disappointment, maybe witnessing someone you love in pain, maybe just watching the nightly news...maybe all of it.
Back to my belly full of anxiety. I realized that I was a little out of my comfort zone. For the past year I’ve been a part of a committee in my small town assembled to tackle a complex issue where emotions (and opinions) ran high.
I was hesitant at first. Hey, we’re all busy and can find reasons to not participate, but I caved and committed. I’m not going to lie, there were plenty of times within this past year that I would’ve liked to have walked away...but I didn’t.
Bottom line: we can’t complain if we aren’t willing to sit at the table, have the tough conversations and find a solution — in our towns, our offices, our relationships, our families...and our world.
What a refreshing concept given the current state of affairs around the globe, no? The world feels kind of prickly right now. We are afraid to share our opinions, reveal our truths, express our impressions, celebrate our holidays, thoughts and ideas — open our hearts. It feels like a time of hiding — hide or you’ll get attacked, the nervous system screams.
Personally, that deeply saddens me. We all lose when we can no longer communicate, hear, consider — allow.
My angst arose because suddenly a public town meeting was called. Our committee was coming forth to present our conclusions and there was a lot of noise in town; people who weren’t happy with our advisory — people who weren’t willing to listen to what we had to say. Instead, they came to their own conclusions and rallied support based upon assumptions.
Skip to the punch line — the year-long process wasn’t easy. In fact, it was an exercise in exactly the communication conundrum mentioned above (a successful one at that, which is something to feel proud of).
When our committee started working together, we all came to the table with our views and agendas. Our initial meetings were heated at times, but a beautiful thing unfolded. We began to hear one another. Soon an even more glorious thing emerged...we became a cohesive and respectful team (dare I even say friends).
Imagine that happening in D.C. or anywhere in politics!
Before the town board meeting was held (which felt like a mob lynching to my nervous system), I wanted to stay home and hide in my office. But I knew I was being called to be vocal and to show up — to lead a different conversation.
There is wisdom in knowing when to speak up and when to listen.
The days leading up to this were an exercise in self-soothing and staying on track. I could’ve lashed out and responded to those in my town who were fearmongering and spreading disinformation...or I could choose differently.
Here’s another truth: We are each capable of both. We can entrench in our ideologies. We can get angry and want to last out. And we can come to the table.
I had lots of conversations with myself. I didn’t try to merely dismiss my unease, but I did ask myself why I was giving my power way to the angry mob.
Each day we are presented with opportunities to show up in our communities, our families, our offices, etc. and we get to decide who we want to be and how we want to treat others. And it all matters.
We plant seeds for more of what we want to grow in our life gardens and fortify our Best Selves. It comes in many forms.
Yes, anxiety, unease, and vulnerability can be a call to deeper healing and revealing. There’s nothing ‘wrong’ with you for feeling.
However this may show up for you, no matter what you are dealing with or what is being presented to you — even if you don’t like it, something tells me you are ready to level up — as a leader, a voice, and a human being.
So, in the spirit of that, off I go to the town meeting where I will kick off the conversation in front of a contentious crowd. I’m bringing my heart, intuition, and courage along for the ride — and I trust it is happening for my highest good.
Don’t ignore the call Best Selfer, you won’t regret it. Life is always whispering to you. She’s got your back. She sees the big picture. Can you trust her?
Deep breath and go!
P.S. Note that my intuition must’ve been on fire that night and picking up on the collective energy. The meeting didn’t go well, was overrun with angry people, quickly became chaotic and just before it escalated totally out of control, was abruptly adjourned. Didn’t see that one coming.
I was frightened, mad and disappointed in my town. Deep sigh. While I’m still marinating in the feels, I’m realizing that the opportunities are there to be seized if I can get out of my way and let them emerge. I won’t be trying to tie this up in shimmery bow and repackaging it, but I can tell you that some grace, guidance, and wisdom are already emerging. That’s the way life works if you just keep going. Stay tuned.
Is there any place in your life where you feel like you’ve been hiding or avoiding the call? Have you been editing or prepackaging yourself for the world? Is there something that needs to come out?