Why You Should Eat The World & How To Do It.
Is Success & Your Destiny Calling You?
Success that small little word that has the power to drive you crazy. You want it but at the same time you have doubts about your ability to achieve it. Added to this you have this voice inside your head which finds the most inopportune times to whisper the words ‘you are destined for bigger things’. “What the heck” you say to yourself the first time you hear this message. You never talk about this strange little voice as it fights to be heard over the loudness of self doubt. After all you cannot go around saying to people ‘I am destined for bigger things’. They would either think you have an over inflated ego or even scarier, challenge you to listen to the inner wisdom that is desperately trying to get your attention.
The truth is this little voice is your ticket to success but the question is are you ready to ride it’s train?
Taylor Pearson in a recent article called Markets Are Eating The World discusses the concept of how the big software companies Like Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook are eating the world. He proposes that these companies are successful because they make it possible for people to be successful. Their success is due to the fact that their products and services give others the opportunity for success.
So how does this proven strategy for success relate to this inner voice that keeps calling you to step into your destiny? What do you think the chances are that each of the founders of the companies mentioned above had an inner voice inside their heads saying ‘you are destined for bigger things’? The difference between these people and the general population is that they listened to the inner voice. They were not afraid to own and believe in their calling. Each one of these companies started with a tiny mad idea that propelled them to heed their calling and make a real difference in the world by helping others be successful.
This thought is not new, many of the wisest masters have been saying this for centuries. Mohandas Gandi summed it up well when he said ‘the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”
Where does this wise inner voice come from and why does it exist?
Why You Should Eat The World
The number one reason you should eat the world is because everyone holds a piece of the puzzle in advancing the world and everyone in it. Without you fulfilling your role the whole cannot be realised. It is not an over indulged ego that you know deep down you are destined for bigger things. The voice is not your imagination but the deep inner truth trying to reveal itself.
Just imagine if people like Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, Stephen Hawkins, Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Edison had decided to ignore the tiny voice of their calling and destiny. The world is a much better place because of these brave souls. Each of them had to fight hard to get their ideas out into the world. They demonstrated a determination build on a bedrock of persistence and self belief.
Just as they helped advance the world so can you if you are prepared to heed the tiny voice within that is demanding you rise up and claim your calling. Remember you provide a piece of the puzzle and without you the whole cannot be realised. If you doubt the truth of this then make a decision to stop ignoring the tiny inner voice and see what happens.
What Is My Calling?
This is the question that many people struggle with. The struggle is a result of the fact that you do not believe the inner voice or feelings when it says you are destined for bigger things. In order for it to reveal your destiny you firstly need to accept that you are destined for bigger things. What this voice is really saying is stop playing small and reclaim the truth of who you really are.
What Happens When You Continue To Ignore Your Calling
What happens when you continue to push the calling down but at the same time you feel driven to succeed. This is where the love hate relationship with success comes from. You find you have some wins but nothing that is truly lasting or brings you complete joy and happiness. Then one day you find your career stalls, your relationships fall apart or you develop a health crisis. Are these just random events or is it the tiny inner voice rising up to get your attention? After all on one hand you are pushing for success and on the other you are ignoring the true reason behind wanting success.
All of these events are designed to disrupt your life so that you stop and align your need for success with your calling. These disruptors are a sign that it is your time to stand in the truth of who you really are.
The good new is that you do not have to find your calling. It will find you when you stop, accept and listen. Your calling is not something that is out there. It is sitting within you just waiting to be heard and realised.
Your Calling Is Your Why Statement - The Power Of Why
Simon Sinek in his best selling book Start With The Why talks about the power of understanding your why. “Sinek starts with a fundamental question: Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over? People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with WHY”
The most powerful why you will ever have is the why behind your existence. Why are you here? What happens when you have the courage to hear and follow your calling? Success just naturally occurs because it is what you are meant to be doing with your life. Nothing has the power to deny success to your calling except you.
How To Eat The World
Now that you understand why the world needs you to eat it, you can now begin your journey of eating the world. Here are some strategies to assist you with this.
1. Own You
Before you can eat the world and serve others you need to commit to not playing small anymore. The small inner voice of wisdom wants you to acknowledge that you are so much more than you think you are. When it whispers ‘you are destined for bigger things’ do not ignore it. At first you may not fully believe it and that is okay but do not discard it.
A wise women once said to me “Jule when you do not agree with something instead of discarding it just place it to one side. If that same message comes back 3 times then accept that this message is meant for you” I cannot tell you how much those words changed my life. I was amazed at how often the same message would come back at least 3 times.
Just because something bumps up against your existing beliefs does not make it wrong. The only way you get to grow and evolve into the truth of who you really are is to move past your limiting beliefs. Limiting beliefs are beliefs that put boundaries around the possibilities that exist in the world. When you limit possibilities it is extremely difficult to the seize the opportunities your inner wisdom is constantly sending you.
2. Develop A Mantra To Keep You On Track
Develop a mantra or use the one below to keep you on track when your limiting beliefs and inner critic try to keep you small. Say it every time you struggle to believe you have a destiny that needs to be honoured. Say it with conviction and let nothing deter you from your calling.
‘I choose to honour my calling and I allow my inner voice of wisdom to guide my way.’
3. Take Time Out To Listen To Your Inner Voice Of Wisdom
Take time out each day to stop and be still. Even if it is only 5 minutes. If you are not up to sitting and quietening your mind then go and spend 5 minutes just sitting in nature and appreciating its natural beauty.
4. Look Out For Signs
When you start to acknowledge that maybe you are destined for bigger things be on the look out for confirmation that your destiny is calling you. The only to see the signs is to start actively looking for them. Your inner wisdom and intelligence is constantly sending you messages. The reason you cannot see them is because you are looking through the eyes of your social conditioning and limiting beliefs. You need to believe that it is your time to start living your calling. When you do this suddenly you will start to see all the sign post’s that are there to guide your way. The sign posts can be people, books, movies, unusual situations.
5. Ask Yourself The Question What Am I Most Afraid To Do?
Chances are this will provide the greatest clue as to where your calling resides. Ask yourself why and what are you afraid of? Is it going to cause you physical harm? If not then it is just a limiting belief that is ruling your life and keeping you blind to your destiny. Is that really how you want to live your life by handing over your true power to a bunch of outdated thoughts that were probably never yours to begin with. Most of your beliefs were formed listening to and believing what others have told you is true. Ask yourself what have you always wanted to do but never had the courage to do.
Most people have an inkling as to what is that they need to be doing with their life. If nothing comes to mind it is usually because the little voice has been shouted down so often that it can no longer be heard amongst the doubt and critical thinking. If this is the case you can silence the inner critic by refusing to accept and listen to its messages. Instead make a pact with yourself that you will only heed the words of your inner voice of wisdom. If you inner voice is not loving, encouraging, inspiring and supportive then it is not your true inner voice. For strategies on how to defeat the inner critic and live your potential read The Number 1 Reason You Are Not Achieving Your Goals.
6. Start Small - Take Bit Size Chunks
Take one small action everyday that leads you in the direction of living your calling. It could be using any of the suggestions listed here. When you know what your calling is, test your ideas and skills on friends and family first. Get feedback and make changes to refine your products or services until you know that it is pretty darn awesome.
The most important thing is you take one small action everyday. This is doable and eliminates the need for excuses that your inner critic and limiting beliefs like to feed you. Write a sign on a post it which says NO EXCUSES! and place it somewhere you will see it everyday.
7. Watch Out For Self Sabotage
Often when success starts knocking on your door you need to be mindful of self sabotage. This can be evidenced by signs of procrastination, negative thoughts and feelings such as fear, self doubt, anger, frustration, impatience, blaming others. These behaviours, thoughts and feelings will cause you to take your eye off the goal eventually leading to stagnation. The moment you take your eye off the goal you will start to lose your way. One way to prevent this from happening is to return to your why or calling. Ask yourself can you justify giving into your fears and robbing the world of what you came here to do.
We can all make up reasons to justify negative thoughts and feelings but the truth is they will only take you off track. The most common one is blaming others. This is such a goal killer.
As stated previously there will always be opportunities for excuses. Maybe it is time to ask yourself if want to be held hostage to your fears and excuses. By saying no you take the first step in defeating the unconscious self sabotage that can derail your success.
8. Don’t Stop Believing In Your Calling - Giving Up Is Not An Option
There will be endless opportunities for you to quit your quest to live your calling. Everyone who has ever contributed towards the evolvement of the world has meet with obstacles. All the greatest achievements came about through dogged determination and persistence. Giving up is not an option and when you don’t you will receive support in the most unlikely ways. Your determination and persistence does not go unnoticed by the unseen forces. This is when you need to be vigilant for signs. They are always around you just need to be watchful for them. For example when something isn’t working let go and allow the forces of you inner wisdom to show you the way.
You have probably already experienced the power of letting go. Maybe you were trying to remember something and when you let go of trying to remember, it suddenly popped into your mind. The same principle applies with finding and living your calling. It will find you, if you let go and allow it to. Trust that if you are committed to living your calling it will find you.
9. Hang Out With Like Minded People
Form a support group where each of you supports the another to own their destiny. It does not have to be face to face. These days apps such as FaceTime and Skype allow you to connect with people remotely.
You are the only one who can honour your calling. Success no longer has to be that little word that drives you crazy but a reminder that you are destined for bigger things. Is there something within you that knows on some level that the words contained in this article are true. Is success and your destiny calling you? If so please take one small step now to honouring your calling because without you the whole cannot be realised.