Today, February 6, 2020, is the 13th anniversary of Second Chance to Live. In October 2009, I wrote the article, Answering the Call that Never Came.
Below is a copy of the article. As you read the article, may you be encouraged to follow your heart and vision regardless of your disability or limitations.
Answering the Call that Never Came
For many years I waited for someone — a group, an organization, a church, an employer or a relationship — to recognize my worth and value. I bought into the notion that I had to obtain some type of stamp or validation of approval. Some type of validation before my gifts, talents, and abilities could be deemed to be valuable and worthwhile.
Sure I used my gifts, talents, and abilities, but I did not feel as though my gifts, talents, and abilities were that significant. Consequently, I spent many years waiting and hoping for the call, validation, and approval.
When the call to use my gifts, talents and abilities did not come I felt inadequate. I felt insignificant. I felt “less than” the individuals who had been recognized and validated for their gifts, talents, and abilities. Consequently, I became discouraged and despondent. Thankfully — with time — my discouragement and despondency motivated me to be open to solutions.
My discouragement and despondency continued to persist until I became sick and tired of being sick and tired. When I reached that point in time point — in my life — I became willing and motivated to look for solutions.
Through being open to solutions, I had a spiritual awakening. I began to realize that the call I had been waiting for was never going to come from outside of me. I began to realize that the call that I was waiting for was already in me.
I began to realize that I could no longer wait for approval or validation. The approval and validation of an organization, church, employer or a relationship to use my gifts, talents, and abilities.
I began to realize that I no longer needed to wait for an organization, church, employer or relationship to recognize and validate what I valued and considered essential.
With my realization, I started on a quest to find a way to use my gifts, talents, and abilities. Use my gifts, talents, and abilities to pursue what I value and consider important.
In my quest, I discovered that I could use my gifts, talents, and abilities in ways that would work for me through writing and speaking.
On February 6, 2007, I created a weblog, Second Chance to Live and began my journey through articles, video and slide show presentations, eBooks and posters. To read about my process of discovery, you may click on this link: Back Story of Second Chance to Live
Today’s Thought
Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. What we possess is on the inside of us. Our call, our passion. Our call and passion, regardless of our disability or limitations, is waiting to be pursued, one step at a time.
Consequently, my encouragement to you is to be courageous. We do not have to wait to be approved or validated. Instead, we can take one step at a time. And as we walk we can see our journey as a process, not a destination.
And as we walk, we can trust the process. We can trust a loving God. We can trust ourselves. More will be revealed to us in time. The pieces of the puzzle will come together at the right time and in the right order.
“If you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams and endeavor to live the life that you have imagined…you will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau
“Insist on yourself, never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation, but of the adopted talent of another, you only have an extemporaneous half-possession…Do that which is assigned to you, and you can not hope too much or dare too much.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.
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