Are You Resisting Your Calling?
Jul 25, 2019With a client recently we were talking about the dilemma of 'how do you earn a decent living and at the same time... answer the call to step up to create a liveable world for our kids?'.
And how tempting it is to just keep pretending we can do business as usual...
What Excuse Are You Using?
We have all been there. We know that something is calling, but we are not really listening. Or more accurately not wanting to hear.
Because we would then have to do something about it. And it would be scary, uncomfortable. We would have to step out of our comfort zone, take a risk. Maybe even upset the people around us.
So we distract ourselves with other things. Ending up super busy but not aligned to what we are truly here to do.
It is true that we often watch the state of the world feeling helpless, whilst at the same time just doing our best to pay the bills. There are so many good reasons to stay on the sidelines...
And so we seem to live in this weird inconsistency… On the one hand you work hard to give your children a good life. But you do that by maintaining a system that robs them of life in the future - because of its impact on the planet and the society we live in.
You Know You Care
One of the turning points for me was when I went to a presentation on the state of the world. And at the end they asked: "So what will you say when the children ask you... what did you do when the planet was dying? When we could still turn things around...'
In that moment I committed to at least living my calling - even if I couldn't fix everything. At least I would be facing the right direction.
It wouldn't solve the whole problem, but it meant that I could look at myself in the mirror and meet the gaze of the next generation.
What is for sure is that we have reached a turning point. What we choose to do matters now.
And it doesn’t matter just for some faceless person in the future - it matters for the kids of today. That is what Greta is trying to wake us up to. Because it is not some nameless future we are fighting for. It is their future.
Facing The Truth
I braced myself for a hard read last week. It was an article about what the effects of climate change actually mean in practice.
It is not for the faint hearted. I come from the South of France and to be honest until then… I think I still saw climate change as it meaning that it would be a bit sunnier in more places… you know like the South of France weather spreading further...
The Article brought home that in many places on the planet - including in Europe it will be dangerous to go outside at all…because it will be too hot. Forget the need for a bit of air conditioning…our organs won’t be able to withstand the heat. They will boil.
I don’t know how that sounds for you, but I found it deeply disturbing.
All the things I love about this planet, feeling the sun on my skin, the beauty of nature, swimming in the sea, skiing, hiking... will be a thing of the past… and that is without talking about the food crisis, the lovely ancient diseases released through the melting permafrost and the flooding.
I am still trying to get my head around the fact that Miami will not exist anymore.
I am not usually a fear-monger. But to be honest I am a bit at a loss.
It Is Time To Rise...
There seems to be this inconsistency where we continue as we always have, knowing where we are headed… kind of caught in a hamster wheel of busyness...
And then there is this urgency where it really matters that we find the courage to evolve things.
As my mum eloquently put it recently 'I am fed up with people who say that they are too busy to do something meaningful or have a positive impact. It is becoming boring to hear that. With everything going on in the world and what is at stake, we all deserve better. Now is the time’.
But the reality is that it is hard to even know what to do. I regularly receive emails from some of you who tell me you care. But that you feel powerless around what is happening and are not sure where to really start. It's hard enough keeping our own lives in order.
So where do you even start to impact the bigger picture?
I get it, it's not easy...
What Will You Do?
I fundamentally believe that we all have a role to play in the change. That if we all do our part, we have got this.
What I learnt from working in the renewable field is that the issue is not technology. We have the technology to do the shift.
The problem is the will. We need the real will to transform.
For that, we all need to embrace change, get on board and become active players in a new experiment.
Ultimately, it means really reflecting on what kind of world we want to live in and we want our kids to live in? What truly sustains us human beings at the physical, emotional and spiritual level? And how we can create more of that.
If climate change is not your thing, then that’s fine. There are so many others areas that can do with attention. Just find some place to have a positive impact.
And especially if you are a leader in an organisation, own the impact you have through your work. Because an organisation is made up of people. And its impact changes through the choices its leaders make - at whatever level they are at.
As I once suggested to a father of two young children who was arguing about the semantics of climate change: 'Look the point is that it is the relationship with our environment that is the issue. And it can’t be right that I am more invested in fighting for the future of your children than you are…maybe you would like to join me.’
We spent the rest of the evening having a great conversation. And he left with a commitment to do his part.
So I know this is not comfortable... but we need you... so... what will you answer when the children ask you: 'What did you do?'
Until Next Time,
Louise
PS If you want to go deeper into it... there are still a couple of places on my year long Positive Energy Academy - where you create your fulfilling, meaningful work that has positive impact. Find out more here and email me at [email protected] if you are interested in joining.
More about Louise Le Gat...
I am an experienced facilitator, transformation coach, and creator of the ‘Positive Energy Leaders’ Transformation Journey. I help leaders connect to their mission, build meaningful careers and have a positive impact through their work or purpose based businesses.
To work with me...
My flagship programme is Positive Energy Leaders: Remember Who You Really Are, Do What You Are Truly Here To Do, Evolve The World By Being You. You can do this in different ways either by coming on Retreat with me or Coaching Online over a longer period of time. To find out more contact me at [email protected]
Photo by Marc Schaefer on Unsplash
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