The Courage to Follow Your Soul’s Calling

“I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing Light of your own Being.” ~Hafiz

A conversation evolved with my brother the other day about finding solutions to challenges and problems outside of the box of where they are created. We all remember the saying or hearing, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.”

Humanity often feels stuck to me, following the dictates of what is “right” or “wrong” within the mainstream cultural directives, present thinking, or others expectations, not realizing that we may be losing ourselves in the process and at the same time adversely affecting the earth’s diversity that we are an intimate interconnected part of.

Losing the parts of ourselves that want to express in our own unique and heart/soul lead way. Becoming numb to, or in fear of, standing out or labeled as a “crazy old person”. Losing our wholeness and fracturing into parts.

Like the approaches being taken towards slowing down “climate change” and repairing the damage that humans have wrought on the natural world as a whole. Like everything these days the present solutions seem to be cataloged in commerce by putting a monetary value on everything, versus recognizing that our task is to recognize that our existence rests upon the entirety of planetary life. In other words we cannot “resolve or fix” our environmental challenges by staying in the same mind set.

“We need more than policy change; we need a change of worldview from the fiction of human exceptionalism to the reality of our kinship and reciprocity with the living world. The planet asks us that we renounce a culture of endless taking so that the world can continue.” ~Robin Wall Kimmerer

I sometimes find it is easy to get stuck in patterned ways of being/thinking for it may feel like “comfort” and “safety” resides there. And oh after six, seven or eight decades of embodied life don’t we all seek peace and comfort without the daily struggles and fears?

Comfort is often in the guise of conforming to others expectations or the structures we are living within, until we realize that taking “should” and “must” out of our vocabulary opens up new worlds. Trusting the flow of these precious moments we are being given as elders with the courage to listen to that quiet truth within.

Having the courage to embrace the journey that is beckoning. Vulnerability lives here.

This can take many forms, but every time that inner voice guides us it is usually something that will take courage, grit and new ways of out of the box perceiving of our carefully built lives. What lives in these spaces filled with possibility?

Are you curious?

“All holiness is about learning to hear the voice of your soul. It is always there and the more deeply you listen, the greater surprises and discoveries that will unfold…” ~John O’Donohue

For over 20 years, every 3-5 years, I would relocate to a completely different state/area to reinvent myself and find out who I was without the labels. After all no one knew who I was and I could drop the old patterned me and start afresh.

This may not be the path for you, but be clear that there is no planning involved in how to express in the next moment. It simply unfolds and calls you fourth in an improvisational pathway from the heart and soul of your authentic being.

Perhaps this is a way forward toward the challenges of the world we live in. Removing the interference of trying to fit in and the fears that we hold inside. Creating, innovating, and being courageous enough to show up differently. and more authentically. It is not always easy, but then that is when the real openings reveal themselves.

Is it time now to follow your soul’s calling? Listening to that quiet yet persistent voice inside that has always been guiding you.

Listen, trust, be curious, take effective action by leaping out of the box, be willing to be surprised – and most of all have fun….

“May I live this day compassionate of heart,

Clear in word,

Gracious in awareness,

Courageous in thought,

Generous in love.”

~John O’Donohue

“There comes a time in life when we must tune out the noise — the expectations of others, the pressures of society, the voices that tell us who we should be — and instead, listen to the quiet truth within us. Following your own calling is not always easy.

It requires courage to walk a path that others may not understand, to trust your heart when the world offers doubt, and to honor what feels right for your soul, even when it goes against the current. But in the end, the deepest fulfillment comes not from seeking approval, but from living authentically, embracing the journey that is uniquely yours.”

Featuring Nirmala Nair. Filmed in Cape Town, South Africa by Reflections of Life

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Gaye Abbott, Wildly Free Elder, 11/9/25