E-couragement: Get in the Way

“What are you waiting for when everything is already here?” Michael Bernard Beckwith After four-and-a-half hours in the car, we finally arrived at the beach. We hurriedly changed, sprinted onto the hot, sparkly sand and claimed our spot. We unfurled our beach blankets, secured our lounge chairs, and drove our umbrella into the sand with fervor. I gathered the kids and raced into the waiting ocean. After body surfing and battling the waves for half an hour I looked up to wave to those back at the “camp site.” That’s when I realized we were fifty yards down the beach. We had drifted—pulled by the natural ocean tide.

While playing in the ocean, it required no effort to be pulled along by the tide. All I had to do was to “get in the way” of the waves. As children we are often told to “get out of the way.” That’s an interesting message. “Get out of the way” insinuates we are taking up space while providing no value in a specific place and time. It involves a belief of having nothing to offer in this moment. Since we’re adults now, here’s a replacement thought you can test out: “Get in the way.” You could try using it like this, “Get in the way of the work you’re here to accomplish.”

Your life’s work is intended to be engaging. It will be inspiring and fulfilling when you determine to get in the way and allow it to pull you along. Here are three ideas to consider when attempting to get in the way of the work you’re designed to do:

• Listen: Slow down. Listen to your inner voice and the voices of those you trust. I remember when one of my elementary teachers had observed me “acting out” and behaving like a clown. She remarked, “Rich, one day you will be on stage. You are meant to entertain.” It was 30 years later that I finally made it to my stage as a professional speaker. She saw things inside of me that I hadn’t uncovered yet. What are people saying about your talents and skills? What are your own thoughts saying about the work you showed up here to accomplish?       
• Discover: Pay attention. What are the things you love to do? When have you found yourself thinking, if I could get paid to do this it would never feel like work? What do you do that seems right and natural? What are you doing when you feel alive and on purpose? Take the time to uncover your gifts and talents.

• Act: Take Action. Explore. Test it out. How are others making a living doing what you love? Try it part time. Volunteer. Dance and interact with the Universe—this allows the resources you need to “magically” appear. Mother Teresa acted and the poor appeared at her door. Gandhi took action and an India in bondage found their leader. Martin Luther King acted and the civil rights movement swept him along.

It’s your responsibility to get in the way of your true calling. Get in the way of the work you’re destined to accomplish. Get in the way of the talents and gifts that naturally occur through and as you. Yes, it’s finally time to get in the way. After getting in the way, relax and allow the natural “tide” of your purpose to pull you along—that’s what it’s designed to do. Enjoy your journey to engagement.

Leave your comments: Recall a time when you “got in the way” of your life’s work. How did the “tide of purpose” end up pulling you along?