A lot of people think opportunity knocks. I'm here to tell you that it howls.
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| Ready to let it all howl out? |
I'm not going to run and hide this time. And if you're brave, neither will you. When your inner wolf is ready to howl it means you are ready to do your life's work. It calls out to you from within, and no one can discover it for you. According to all the "howlers" I've ever met, and those I've read about, whether you choose to face your calling or not will define whether you live an extraordinary life, or just a regular existence.
A Tale of Two People....
To illustrate just how different your life could be should you rise to the challenge of finding yourself I shall tell you the brief Tale of Two People. It's about a man and a woman born around the same time, in similar places, with similar intelligence. They were carriers of the wolf gene, just like you and I. When the gene was ready and their inner wolves started to howl, each of them responded differently, and thus they wrote the stories by which they'll be remembered.
Each was born in the Spring of the 1950's; one in Mississippi, one in Louisiana. He lived in the city, and was the son of working class parents. She lived in a country farm, and came from a generation of servant families. Her grandmother said to her one day, "You better learn how to wash those clothes and hang them on the line, because you'll be a maid the rest of your life." She looked out into the field, into the clear blue sky, and thought to herself, 'No, that's not right at all.' It wasn't a thought - it was something she knew to be true, even as a 12-year old child.
As a kid He also knew that he was capable of doing great things. He was not a minority like she was, so his road may have even been a little easier. Yet for some reason he chose not to see his gifts like she did. He would attempt projects, but at the first sign of adversity, abandon them. Whereas she would grab the bull by the horns, and get back on whenever thrown off. She was highly motivated; he never did the "inner-work" necessary to find his passions.
As a kid He also knew that he was capable of doing great things. He was not a minority like she was, so his road may have even been a little easier. Yet for some reason he chose not to see his gifts like she did. He would attempt projects, but at the first sign of adversity, abandon them. Whereas she would grab the bull by the horns, and get back on whenever thrown off. She was highly motivated; he never did the "inner-work" necessary to find his passions.
Fast forward 50 years later. She is the world's only Black billionaire. Her philanthropy has touched countless lives. She's raised over $51,000,000 for charitable programs of all kinds.
He lives in the same city he grew up in. Despite that he is known amongst many to be a man of great intelligence and potential, he struggles through life and does only the bare minimum to survive. Worse than that, he has denied the world the benefit it could have received from all his gifts.
As much as it pains me to share this story about Oprah Winfrey and my father, I feel that it is necessary. How do the lives of two people take on such a contrast? Why does one person feel a hunger to discover his calling, while another feels the desire to bury it deep inside them and pretend that it's not there?
We Are All Carriers, But We Are Not All Howlers
I feel the hunger, and I bet you do, too. Like the moon pulls the tides, it reaches into the werewolf's insides and begins to take control. He can't do anything about it - the metamorphosis is instant. Ugly horns as big as bananas sprout from his head; thick hair springs from the pores on his arms. Maybe he sprouts a few extra eyeballs. It reminds you of a scene from the video of M.J.'s Thriller. Maybe M.J. was trying to tell us something about our own inner wolves.
When the patient, flacid 'soul searching' part of you snaps like a twig the wolf comes to replace it. He's like a big, hairy, non-profit lawyer that smells bad and asks all sorts of questions for which most people don't have answers. Am I the only one who hasn't found her "calling"? Where is my burning desire for accomplishment? Why does this beast torment me? Why don't more people grapple with this? Are they afraid? Should I bury her back inside me, or allow myself to come.. La Loba? (the she-wolf.)
I found the beginning of these answers in a book, and not only did it soothe my Wolverine, it also compelled me to share it. I decided that the only wrong way to handle the Wolf is to ignore it. I do not fear it, as most people do. Instead, I would let it cover me like a coat. I decided I would trust that I'm exactly where I need to be inside this labyrinth of a search.
Perhaps life isn't about the exit-strategy.. Maybe it's about running inside the maze and finding different paths and people inside it. After all, the walls will continuously curve and change if you let them. And that makes the labyrinth an interesting place to be.
But the most important thing that I realized is that we have to embrace the wolf because the world needs to hear us howl. If you don't take the time to find yourself, your calling, and your gifts, then you have done a selfish thing indeed. You've denied the people, creatures, and the Earth of your contribution.
We all have an equal chance to do something significant. But getting inspired is your own job, and no one else's. This is harder than it seems, and that's why I believe that once you've found your calling, your life would be greatly enriched by helping others do the same. How selfish are those who have discovered the great secret in life, but never share it.
Imagine that your favorite artist never wrote that one song you absolutely love. He sat around the house with a lot of good thoughts, but never found the motivation or courage inside himself to put them on paper. Or picture your favorite author before she started writing. What if she decided she couldn't bear the thought of the publisher's rejection, so she never sent off her manuscript? It would have been one more Pulitzer buried in the attic. Or how about if Thomas Edison had given up his 9,999th try at inventing the light bulb? After all, it took him 10,000 failures to hit pay dirt.
If the only contribution you can make at the moment is to raise your kids to be as great as they can be then go out and do it. Rear the next Mother Theresa or Steve Jobs. After all, that's all the man in "A Tale of Two People" could do. Do what you can with what you've got. That is the start of your calling. And don't stop.. don't limit your thinking. When one calling is fulfilled, look to the next full moon and find the next one. You could end up being the woman in the Tale, no matter where you came from.
All you have to see is that first step, and take it.. The staircase will reveal itself, said Dr. King.
I believe that if we live our lives always searching for ways to bring a service to the world, then all our wants and needs will be satisfied by "Infinite Intelligence." Go in peace, friend. When you're ready to howl, you can count on me to be along for the ride.
Joy to You & Your Journey,
"La Loba"
When the patient, flacid 'soul searching' part of you snaps like a twig the wolf comes to replace it. He's like a big, hairy, non-profit lawyer that smells bad and asks all sorts of questions for which most people don't have answers. Am I the only one who hasn't found her "calling"? Where is my burning desire for accomplishment? Why does this beast torment me? Why don't more people grapple with this? Are they afraid? Should I bury her back inside me, or allow myself to come.. La Loba? (the she-wolf.)
I found the beginning of these answers in a book, and not only did it soothe my Wolverine, it also compelled me to share it. I decided that the only wrong way to handle the Wolf is to ignore it. I do not fear it, as most people do. Instead, I would let it cover me like a coat. I decided I would trust that I'm exactly where I need to be inside this labyrinth of a search.
Perhaps life isn't about the exit-strategy.. Maybe it's about running inside the maze and finding different paths and people inside it. After all, the walls will continuously curve and change if you let them. And that makes the labyrinth an interesting place to be.
But the most important thing that I realized is that we have to embrace the wolf because the world needs to hear us howl. If you don't take the time to find yourself, your calling, and your gifts, then you have done a selfish thing indeed. You've denied the people, creatures, and the Earth of your contribution.
We all have an equal chance to do something significant. But getting inspired is your own job, and no one else's. This is harder than it seems, and that's why I believe that once you've found your calling, your life would be greatly enriched by helping others do the same. How selfish are those who have discovered the great secret in life, but never share it.
Imagine that your favorite artist never wrote that one song you absolutely love. He sat around the house with a lot of good thoughts, but never found the motivation or courage inside himself to put them on paper. Or picture your favorite author before she started writing. What if she decided she couldn't bear the thought of the publisher's rejection, so she never sent off her manuscript? It would have been one more Pulitzer buried in the attic. Or how about if Thomas Edison had given up his 9,999th try at inventing the light bulb? After all, it took him 10,000 failures to hit pay dirt.
If the only contribution you can make at the moment is to raise your kids to be as great as they can be then go out and do it. Rear the next Mother Theresa or Steve Jobs. After all, that's all the man in "A Tale of Two People" could do. Do what you can with what you've got. That is the start of your calling. And don't stop.. don't limit your thinking. When one calling is fulfilled, look to the next full moon and find the next one. You could end up being the woman in the Tale, no matter where you came from.
All you have to see is that first step, and take it.. The staircase will reveal itself, said Dr. King.
I believe that if we live our lives always searching for ways to bring a service to the world, then all our wants and needs will be satisfied by "Infinite Intelligence." Go in peace, friend. When you're ready to howl, you can count on me to be along for the ride.
Joy to You & Your Journey,
"La Loba"
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"The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be. "
Oprah Winfrey
For Your Listening Pleasure:
Count On Me by Bruno Mars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJYXItns2ik
Inspirations of This Week's Blog:
My good friend, a hard working woman, and my soul sister Courtney. Also Michael JR., her son who enjoys 'stroller skating'
The Creator, who sees my doubt as I stumble upon this dark path, and shines just enough light for me to continue.
What I'm Reading This Week:
What Should I Do with My Life?: The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question
by Po Bronson
What Are Old People For? How Elders Will Save The World
By William H. Thomas
if you aim at nothing you will hit it every time
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