Smart Women Answer Their Call

No, I’m not talking about your cell phone or the phone in your home or office. All the women in my Success Circles know that I don’t believe in picking up the phone every time it rings. I do believe in listening to my messages and returning calls and emails within a reasonable time period. I’m talking about answering your call---the call that is unique only to you.

Do you have any idea what that ring tone sounds like? You may be reading this and saying to yourself, "What is Joy talking about?" "I don’t hear anything like that." Well, I’m not surprised. With phones ringing everywhere, music playing, family members and clients calling out for attention, how could you possibly hear your own unique call? And maybe you don’t even think you have one. You do have one.

Do you ever get irritated or unsettled by all of the noise going on around you? Do you just want to go somewhere and be quiet and peaceful? Do you sometimes feel like you are on an emotional rollercoaster? Everything is fine in your life but you still feel stuck? You feel so lucky to be alive and healthy but at the same time you know that something has changed. This is the beginning of a calling.

How do I know this? About 10 years ago, my internal telephone was ringing. It started with that soft ring tone---you know the one that’s not too annoying and you can ignore it? I, of course, chose to ignore it at the time. Why? Well, when you answer your call, it can sometimes mean that things and circumstances in your life may need to change. And you know how we all love change—right? A wise mentor once told me that "Change does not always mean success but success always means change."

I also had very loud phones ringing in every area of my life to drown out the sound of my own unique call---family, friends, and clients. Eventually, my internal telephone set its ring tone to LOUD and it was determined to be heard. And once I truly gave myself the space to be quiet and really hear it, I answered it. And the voice at the other end came through loud and clear. When I answered my own unique call, I discovered that working with women to help them explore and discover their call, their passion, and their purpose was part of my journey.

Was it easy? No. A lot of changes had to take place not only within me but also with my family. Was it worth it? You bet! I love what I’m doing and I have unlimited energy for it. The process I went through to answer my call is the basis of my Women’s Success Circles today. I want to give every woman who wants to answer her call, the unique opportunity to have the space and environment to explore, discover, and make a plan to follow her own internal, unique voice.

How about you? Do you hear your own unique internal telephone ringing? Are you going to answer it now or will you send it right to voicemail? Remember, with most voicemail systems, messages not picked up in 30 days will expire and be deleted from the system. I can’t imagine what my life might be like if I had not had the courage to answer my call. I’m going to leave you with a quote that my friend and smart woman Kathy LaSalla shared with me a few days ago: "The great danger of most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." ----Michelangelo

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.