When God Calls:
Listening, Hearing and Responding
“You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously.”
Introduction
On this platform, I will publish a series of inspirational blogs to help you to live the life you were created to live. I will base them on the key issues addressed in my debut book – When God Calls: Listening, Hearing and Responding. This first blog is designed to get you to think about your calling or, if you prefer, your purpose or reason for being here.
When God Calls makes clear that no one is here by accident. Each of the estimated 7 billion people on earth is as unique as a snowflake. Your DNA is unique. Your finger-prints are unique. The way you walk, dance, talk, think and learn is unique. And, yes, your calling is unique. You are unique because you are a vital part of the “cosmic whole”. The world needs something which only you can give. You alone have what it takes – the vision, passion, experience, aptitude, personality, skills and knowledge to create something to meet the world’s need.
Your Call – What does it mean?
Your challenge is to find out what your unique calling is so that you do not have to sleepwalk through life, living a life of mediocrity. Before you can find our calling, you first need to embrace and celebrate your uniqueness. You need to rid yourself of self-doubt and stand tall in our own space. This means owning your experiences, personal traits, culture, colour and everything that makes you unique and different from others. You need to be proud of your identity or the things that make you uniquely you. These include all your characteristics, including those others see as weaknesses or imperfections. What the world sees as “weaknesses” may be your greatest strengths. The people who succeed and have the greatest impact are those who accept themselves as they are. Rather than trying to imitate other people, they celebrate their uniqueness and make it a habit of doing things their way. They develop their “personal brand”.
In the sphere of business, this is what accounts for the success of people like Richard Branson, Bill Gates, David Beckham, Sharon White, Iyanla Vanzant and Oprah Winfrey. In music, it is what made musicians such as Aretha Franklin, Bob Marley, Louis Armstrong, Pavarotti, Michael Jackson and Prince great. In science, it is what made Einstein stand out. In sports, it is what makes Jessica Ennis-Hill, Lewis Hamilton, Usain Bolt, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohammed Ali legendary. Ali was well-known for his mantra “I am the greatest”. This does not mean that Ali was comparing himself to anyone. He knew the meaning of Victor Williamson’s dictum, “Being a one of a kind means we are automatically the best in the world at what we do”.
Poor self-esteem can cause people to miss their calling. It can lead to fear of taking risks and moving out of our comfort zones. It can cause us to over-rely on other people’s opinions to validate our actions and decisions. Poor self-worth can also cause us to abandon our calling the moment we encounter obstacles and setbacks. The world needs you just as you are.
Self-Acceptance: Celebrating our Uniqueness
Your challenge is to find out what your unique calling is so that you do not have to sleepwalk through life, living a life of mediocrity. Before you can find our calling, you first need to embrace and celebrate your uniqueness. You need to rid yourself of self-doubt and stand tall in our own space. This means owning your experiences, personal traits, culture, colour and everything that makes you unique and different from others. You need to be proud of your identity or the things that make you uniquely you. These include all your characteristics, including those others see as weaknesses or imperfections. What the world sees as “weaknesses” may be your greatest strengths. The people who succeed and have the greatest impact are those who accept themselves as they are. Rather than trying to imitate other people, they celebrate their uniqueness and make it a habit of doing things their way. They develop their “personal brand”.
In the sphere of business, this is what accounts for the success of people like Richard Branson, Bill Gates, David Beckham, Sharon White, Iyanla Vanzant and Oprah Winfrey. In music, it is what made musicians such as Aretha Franklin, Bob Marley, Louis Armstrong, Pavarotti, Michael Jackson and Prince great. In science, it is what made Einstein stand out. In sports, it is what makes Jessica Ennis-Hill, Lewis Hamilton, Usain Bolt, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohammed Ali legendary. Ali was well-known for his mantra “I am the greatest”. This does not mean that Ali was comparing himself to anyone. He knew the meaning of Victor Williamson’s dictum, “Being a one of a kind means we are automatically the best in the world at what we do”.
Poor self-esteem can cause people to miss their calling. It can lead to fear of taking risks and moving out of our comfort zones. It can cause us to over-rely on other people’s opinions to validate our actions and decisions. Poor self-worth can also cause us to abandon our calling the moment we encounter obstacles and setbacks. The world needs you just as you are.
How To Find Your Call
“You have to find what sparks a light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world.” Oprah Winfrey
In When God Calls, I offer detailed guidance on how to find your unique calling. Do you want to know how to find your call? Did you know each of us was born with an Internal Guidance System to direct us to our true calling in life? This functions like a Global Positioning System (GPS), but it is infinitely more intelligent and reliable. The first two chapters of my book are designed to help you to find your calling.
Buy a copy of When God Calls: Listening, Hearing and Responding by Dianne Sealy-Skerritt (published by Melrose Books, February 2018, PB £14.99, HB £19.99)
Available to buy from my website, Waterstone Bookshop and Amazon.
