[This is a guest post by my friend Jeffrey Van Dyk to introduce his new work helping people respond to what he calls their next level callings. Molly]
Right now, all around the world, there are people waking up…
With the realization that they have been CALLED to do something great.
It’s as if something gets unlocked inside of them—sometimes over time, sometimes seemingly overnight—and they realize that there is a much larger, more significant impact they are meant to make in this world.
Your Next Level Calling is when the Universe knocks on your door and says “Now Is The Time!” … And you know that everything you’ve done until now was simply training for the great work you are here to bring to this planet on a massive scale.
You feel the yearning to expand, to deepen, to have a richer more meaningful life, and to have your business reflect that.
I’m Jeffrey Van Dyk, CEO of Big Vision Business, and over the last few years I’ve gone through some very big shifts in the process of answering my larger calling, and let me tell you, it’s been a wild roller coaster of experiences and emotions.
Molly and I were speaking recently about the shifts in her life and business as well, and she invited me to share my experience and what I’ve learned with you … both on the personal side (gory details included) and in terms of business growth and success—and that’s what this post is all about.
I also just released a new video training designed to help you clarify what you’re really meant to be up to in the world that’s true to your soul—and is bigger, more lucrative and contributes to the world in a far greater way.
The wild thing about getting a bigger calling …
… is that on some level, there is no explaining it! There’s no justification for why it’s you—at least no reason that will really satisfy your ego.
But for better or worse, there’s also no denying it—because you know that you won’t be able to rest until you step up to answer it.
There’s just this deep, underlying soul knowing that you are “The One”…in your field, in your industry, in your part of the world, called to do something truly great, that your tribe and this world is hungry waiting for.
And let me tell you, it can be crazy making! You at first feel like you’re crazy, wondering if you’re making it all up. You feel like you can’t possibly be “The One”—I mean why you? You wonder if you can really do the thing you feel called to do—which is challenging to think about, because usually the details of a bigger calling are fuzzy at first!
And so you stagnate and ignore it, the call only grows bigger and stronger, pulling at your heart … even if your mind continues to resist or push it away.
For me, it happened like this …
I’ve been in the business and personal development field for many years doing
very purposeful work … but all along I always knew there was a bigger reach I was meant to have. I would have visions of myself on much bigger stages (real and metaphorically), reaching people all around the world. Bottom line is that I’ve always known I have a big message to share, but on some level I was still hiding out – even while living a purposeful life and doing purposeful work.
In the past 18 months I started working with my friend and colleague Max Simon and about 6 months ago took over as CEO for this 60,000 person global community.
I know deep within my bones that what we’re doing at Big Vision Business is BIG. Bigger than anything I’ve created …or BVB has created before.
I also know that this is the beginning of my great contribution—the bigger work I am in this world to do. I know that it’s the beginning of a global movement, and I know that everything I’ve done before this has been preparation for what we’re doing now.
And you know what’s funny?
All my life I knew that this day would come. All my life I knew that there was something significant and world changing for me to do. And now that it’s here …
It’s like my greatest dream and my worst nightmare have collided.
I mean, there’s a part of me that has always known this was my path, and it’s saying, “YES, finally … it’s time!”
This part of me is thrilled that I’m that I’m getting on with the bigger work I’m designed to do – which sounds odd, given that I’ve worked with thousands and thousands of people and generated millions of dollars doing my purposeful work already.
But this time is different, and I know it.
Then there is the part of me that has been subtly (and not so subtly) avoiding answering my next level calling … even though I’ve been staidly moving towards it, bit by bit, for years.
This is the part of me that likes to be private and doesn’t really want to share my feelings or truly be seen (publicly), thank you very much.
And within that part of me are all my own doubts and fears. My fear that people won’t like what I have to share, my concern that I won’t know how to bring this next thing out in a way that works in business, my doubt that I’ll have what it takes, my feeling that it’s too big for me, and the vulnerable, tender parts of me that just don’t want to be abandoned.
Yes, after all the years of being in this business, these things still come up!
I’m sharing this with you so that you know you aren’t alone in this journey, and to give you some tools to deal with it as you answer your own Next Level Calling.
Your old “stuff” will always come to the surface when you’re truly expanding, evolving in your work, and expanding your ability to answer you call on larger and larger scales. And it’s meant to – because inside of that “stuff” is the power, the gold and genius required to step up and lead your great work.
There are some very powerful lessons I’ve uncovered over the last year during my journey,
Here are the 7 Requirements to Answer Your Next Level Calling
1. Change your relationship to your resistance
Stop fighting your resistance, and instead look at what your resistance is trying to tell you! I mean, honestly, aren’t you sick of going to battle with yourself?
Yes, on one hand you could say that your resistance is holding you back … but have you considered that it might be there for a good reason?
Your resistance has intelligence to it, so stop fighting it and start listening to it. It might be telling you what you need to learn, what you need to let go of, or what you need to have in place in order to step out and answer your next level calling safely.
Use your resistance as a feedback mechanism—not something to fight against.
2. Develop a deeper connection to your spiritual guidance
You might already have a connection to your spiritual guidance that you use in your life. But when you answer a bigger calling, getting off track in even small ways can have big consequences.
So rather than just using your spiritual guidance to understand what your calling is, use it to navigate your business and life as you answer your call.
This one practice will cut literally years off from your path and make answering your call one of the richest, most rewarding experiences of your life.
3. Open your heart even wider
You cannot “hide out” AND answer your bigger call.
On some level, when it’s time to really step out, it’s also a call to open your heart in a much more substantial way. It’s a call to really embrace the beauty and gift that you are, and to let that be seen and broadcast in the world.
You are not just bringing a “body of work” to the world—you are stepping out as the living example and embodiment of the work you are here to bring forward. It’s your example that will give people the permission to step forward themselves, and it’s your radiant heart that will draw people to you and compel them to join you.
4. Shift from WHAT you do to WHY you do it
Practitioners are focused on WHAT they do, and try to sell that (usually without great success). They sell coaching, energy work, book keeping or some other service, and their focus is on telling people about the service they offer.
Global Visionaries, on the other hand, are focused on WHY they do what they do. They are clear about the big impact they are called to have on this world and on their tribe as they answer their calling, and they focus on spreading that message! They inspire people with new possibilities, and what they are doing to help create this new reality in people’s lives and in the world at large.
And here’s the real key: because they are clear about the big WHY, their HOW is inspired and their strategy becomes focus and supercharged.
5. Expand your Vision
Your next level calling isn’t just another business—it’s your life’s work.
And yes, it’s probably much, much bigger than you allow yourself to dream about, let alone put down on paper as a vision.
So starting today, I invite you to allow the whole expanse of your vision into your field of awareness, and to start sharing it! Because when you do, full the energy of your vision is unleashed to guide and fuel what you do. And THAT’S when your creativity starts to flow and you create something truly unique that the world is craving, and ready to buy.
6. Create a masterful, guided strategy
Masterful strategy takes great smarts and creativity … but it also takes listening.
To develop a masterful strategy, you must know what’s missing in the market, figure out what would inspire you to meet that need, and do so in a way that supports your larger calling.
Many people go sideways and get off course in this step because they tune into their guidance for what it is they are called to do, but don’t stay tuned in for how they are meant to do it! So as you develop your strategy and develop the next phase of your business, continue to step back from it, reconnect to your guidance system and listen to ensure that what you create and how you manifest it is on target, true to your calling and will be deeply impactful to the people you serve.
7. Surround yourself with your tribe
You aren’t meant to answer your big calling along. And more to the point, you can’t … none of us can.
To answer your calling on a global scale, you need people around you with open hearts and expanded minds, who are engaged in something much larger than themselves. These are the people that will challenge you with love, support you when you’ve lost your way, and stand by your side cheering as you step out to your next level calling.
But most of all, you need to be surrounded by people who know the journey, who know what it’s like to feel different and feel compelled to bring something out that has never been brought out before. People need people who can help you find your own unique road map.
What’s next?
If you know you have a bigger calling, but aren’t sure how to get started or move ahead in the boldest way possible, there is a wealth of resources available for you in the free Next Level Calling educational video series. Check it out today!
