A Call to Awaken

Each of us is on a heroic journey. Whether we acknowledge it or not,  we’re walking the path that so many before us – and beside us - walk.

Last month, we talked about the first step in the hero’s journey, and this month we address the Call to Awaken. Calls to Awaken can come in many forms, some obvious and life-altering, some more subtle, and some evolve over time: a gentle nudge or sense of intuition that tells us that something needs to change or shift. These calls can originate from our environment, from our interactions with others, or when we take time to reflect, and look within. Each is compelling.

Let’s look at a few examples:

The environment is charged right now, and there is plenty calling for our attention.

The challenge of living in a global pandemic has all of us reassessing, and in a continuous state of uncertainty. Can I plan a trip for later in the year, or not? When will we go back to the office? Will we go back to the office? When can I safely and spontaneously hug my friends again? Unknown. Unknown. And unknown! Add to the pandemic challenges the environmental, contextual trials facing us with people contesting ideologies and lifestyles that don’t match their own. We run the risk of missing out on different opinions and perspectives that can be so valuable to us. Not to mention the physical environmental challenges of our consumer-driven economy: an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in what’s known as the great pacific garbage patch. If that’s not a Call to Awaken, what is?

Community can be our saving grace.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned in the pandemic, it is that we are a social people. We need other people. We can get things done with others. Together, we can positively impact our environment – both ideological and physical. We need people in our lives who support and challenge us. People who can hold the mirror for us and invite us to a Call to Awaken. We need truth tellers who will walk with us on our journey, providing wise counsel along the way. Where would we be without people that – with the best intentions – challenge our thinking, and expand our point of view? We see this every week in our Mastermind groups: with a balance of inquiry and insight, the women in our group trigger a Call to Awaken.

Our own insight can provide a powerful Call to Awaken.

People are often quick to dismiss their own counsel, or to look outside for answers. Author Shakti Gawain refers to this “deep wisdom” or “inner knowing” and tells us, “We can access this wonderful source of knowledge and wisdom though our intuition, an inner sense that tells us what feels right and true for us at any given moment.” We’ve each had pivotal Calls to Awaken when trusting this inner knowing:

Lisa:  I reached the tipping point for a career change and my own Call to Awaken during yet another extended work trip taking me to New York, Washington DC, London, and India where I was speaking, leading, and learning.

Three weeks into the trip, on a Sunday morning at a stunning hotel in India, I found myself alone with lots of time to think.  Looking out over beautiful gardens, I was surprised to hear a small and quiet internal voice say "I don't want to be here. I don't want to do this anymore. It's time to go. "

What should have been rewarding and inspiring left me empty and exhausted.  I realized it wasn't just this trip.  Everything had become flat in general.

Nothing was specifically wrong.  There was no "burning platform"  driving change.  Anyone looking at me would see many desirable boxes checked:  successful executive, in a highly visible role at a company I loved, multiple international assignments and opportunities to travel, my 25+ year marriage, a lovely home on a great street in a great neighborhood and city, close family, and my physical health was solid.

But despite all this, I had a growing awareness that something was shifting. Nothing was REALLY wrong.  But nothing was REALLY right either.

I was done. Crispy.  Flat - with a twist of generalized anxiety. 

I reached a point that we coach on a lot: the tipping point where staying in a situation is more scary than leaving it.

What did I want?  Who did I want to be?

When you open yourself up to the big, life-changing, and fundamental questions and really listen for the answers, you start receiving signs.

There were so many experiences I had that seemed to be telling me something.   Asking me to consider a new direction. A call to something different. A Call to Awaken.

I shared a few of these experiences with a mastermind group I was a part of.  After a few moments of silence, one of the wise women said, "Lisa, can't you see? All of these signs are telling you, actually shouting, that it's time to take a leap and make a change. To accept the call."

Her inquiry helped me unlock my own insight.  Nothing had been really wrong.  But nothing had been really right either.  I needed something more.  Something different.

It was time to answer my own Call to Awaken.

Shakti Gawain also suggests that “You create your opportunities by asking for them.” Asking can be risky. Putting yourself out there for a yes risks the no. Sometimes just asking the question can be a Call to Awakening.

Kathleen:  Years ago, I was in a “dream job”.  I loved the smart, talented, ambitious, and innovative leaders I worked with. Work hard /play hard was how this group operated, and it showed in the business results. As a member of the leadership team, you were all in, or you were out. And it was fun!

Until I realized that I needed to make a change. I needed to ask for what was right for me, not for the business. Work hard / play hard at personal expense was not an option.

We were at a leadership team meeting in Shanghai.  I was engaged and energized as I looked around the room at my high achieving peers. We were doing good work, collaborating, generating ideas, and making progress! Just two days into the summit, we’d already outlined plans to change the business and tackle obstacles. We were going to make our company, our shareholders, and our employees more money in the coming year than we had in years past. Go! Drive! Do! That was the mantra of the week.

And a realization hit me…with a THUD. And my enthusiasm disappeared. The bright light of optimism extinguished.

Looking at the slides of the fourth presentation of the day, I had my a-ha moment. What was I doing here, in Shanghai, when my daughter’s second birthday was just around the corner? Talk about a Call to Awaken! I quickly did the math and the time zone conversions and checked AA.com. With swift action, I could change my flight and make it back for her birthday. Just barely. But possible.

With my business hat on, I did NOT want to leave the meeting. I was one of the more junior people there and, frankly, felt fortunate to have been invited. How could I leave? What would that say about me, about my commitment to the team and to the company? With my parent hat on, how might I explain to my daughter one day that I wasn’t in the birthday pictures because I was across the world on a business trip?

I had to ask. I recognized this as a personal and professional Call to Awaken. I spoke to the General Manager, who thank goodness, was supportive of my proposal. We changed the agenda so I could cover my piece early, and I was off to the airport. As I was leaving, our Chief Marketing Officer, also a parent, pulled me aside “I heard that you’re leaving today. And why. Congratulations. You’re making the right choice.”

I arrived jet lagged, happy, and home in time for my daughter’s birthday celebration.

And my career? Zero negative impact from my leaving the meeting. I later found out that the CMO shared my rationale with a couple other members of leadership team, who also validated and supported my decision. Because I was willing to ask, to stand behind my priorities, I built relationships at a different level with my peers.

Not every Call to Awaken will be dramatic. Not all will require you to quit your job or hop on an international flight at the last minute. But each is life changing. We just have to learn to recognize the call when it comes.

If you’re interested in the Call to Awaken and want to explore your own hero’s journey, join us for a spring 2021 Mastermind. Click here to learn more.