This episode is part of the Guided Series, where Chela explores the key guiding principles in her work and business. Meet The Call explores what a calling is and how we go about meeting it. Chela speaks to how a calling is part of us, but also beyond us. She names common patterns noticed when heeding a call – both her own and with her clients – including what our callings care about and what they don’t. She speaks to misconceptions – like the notion that aligned callings should feel easy. Chela muses that perhaps our calling is always asking something new of us, inviting us to the question ‘What is calling to you right now?’. For links and show notes go to: cheladavison.com/podcast.

Listen in, as she talks about…

[03:12] What I mean by a calling, and, does everyone have one? 

[05:18] What can get in the way of heeding a call, including our internalized stories, our upbringings, the World we live in, our egos and how meeting a call requires the death of current identities.

[09:05] How our callings are like a child wanting to be listened to, given attention, have permission to play, be seen and be held. 

[09:50] The assumptions of ‘I know this’ or ‘I have got this’ being signs the ego is showing up, and how we can respond to this with more mystery and curiosity.

[10:28] How our callings want our life force to be in service of it, and that when derailments occur, there tends to be something underneath asking to be healed or attended to. By noticing and attending to these, our energy can be more freed up for our calling.

[12:33] That the egoic outcomes or visions are not something our calling cares about, and that it’s much more of a listening, heeding and creative unfolding.

[14:35] How our callings don’t care what others are doing and that heeding a calling involves the risks of being a beginner. That in order for something new to be possible, we must meet with our current ways and edges.

[17:32] The misconception that if a calling is really meant for you, that it would be easy. It’s more of a ‘yes, and!’ – both a fuelling of what comes naturally and an ask to rise to what’s needed for the calling which the ego does not want to fulfill. How the stories we tell ourselves makes this hard, and why working with self as an instrument and consistently rising to and tuning into what needs healing or developing is key.

[21:48] Attending both to being and becoming. Assuming the posture of being whole and sufficient, having all that’s needed to pursue this – and also acknowledging the gaps – both personal and of resources/support – knowing that these only come into form through faithful engagement. Asking what’s being called ‘right now’ and acknowledging the trial, play, risks and vulnerability that’s needed to truly heed a call.

[24:45] What’s always been and what’s brand new? How some callings can be traced back to our childhood or through threads of passions, interests, nudges and how others can be brand new like ‘this isn’t what I thought I’d be up to!?’ How we can draw on and be informed by our past, but also be open to what we don’t know.

[26:20] Chela’s personal experience of a new call arising recently, how it asked her to check in with her integrity and how heeding it reignited her creativity both in work and outside.[30:29] How a calling is always asking something new of you, sometimes it is what you want to give and sometimes it’s super scary. She leaves us with the question ‘What is calling to you right now?’ as well as an invitation to listen deeper to hear the answer.