Destiny
Harry Reasoner: Would you be a musician if nobody ever heard you?
Miles Davis: Sure!
Harry Reasoner: Why?
Miles Davis: Because I love music; it’s in my head. I can’t get it out.
Harry Reasoner: You’re hearing it yourself?
Miles Davis: I hear it now.
Miles’ responses to this 60 Minutes journalist are a perfect example of calling; I believe God assigned us a purpose He wants us to achieve before our earthly lives are over. While the Creator has an objective, things don’t always go according to plan, not because of Him but us; in short, when we misalign, we miss a lot. We can cheat ourselves out of receiving blessings at an appointed time due to impatience, impulsiveness, and negligence; some of those things could reappear far later than God intended, but only when we realign with our calling.
Passion is fuel to the fire of pursuit; there are many things with which we are passionate. However, not everything we are passionate about is part of our purpose. A spiritual leader I follow said we discern whether or not our dreams line up with our calling when we determine who is holding whom; in other words, if the goal has a hold of you and won’t let go, that’s your purpose, but if you can release the dream, then it isn’t.
When I learned this, I reexamined what I thought might be part of my purpose; immediately, writing came to mind, then mime and visual storytelling. Not a day passes that I do not think of these art forms or practice them somehow; it is second nature to pen a poem, blog, or screenplay. It is second nature to manifest movement for mime, point a camera at something or amass, rearrange video, audio, and effects in an editing timeline.
Our callings do not require coercion; we come by them innately and never tire of pursuing them. While everyone is not called to be an artist of some kind, I think we all can take a lesson from the late great Miles Davis, who did not equate success and fulfillment as a musician with how many people heard or liked the sound of his trumpet; he liked the sound. Do you like the sound of your trumpet? Do you press on and continue to play it despite not always being heard, felt, or appreciated?
I hope you do, and if not now, there’s no time like the present to start again. I’m telling you what I know and have experienced in my life thus far; it isn’t too late as long as there’s breath in your body, a remembrance and rekindling of that passion-fueled pursuit. It seems that so-called cancel cultures trend among most discussions and online media as of late.
And while many of us are not celebrities, in my opinion, cancel cultures only exist when one loses sight of themselves; I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating: no one can tell you who you are unless you allow them. When you remember not only who you are but why you are, the opinions of others do not derail your goals or put you in a regretful space concerning your work.
Don’t become insular and deceived that you won’t ever require another’s help or perspective, but don’t permit another’s thoughts and vision to override yours along the journey. Two people cannot drive the same car at once; somebody must sit in the passenger or back seat. Ideas and viewpoints among peers and oneself work the same way because we all have unique ways of doing things. And if you receive support and understanding for your decisions even when they differ from others, fantastic! And if not, at least you like the sound of your trumpet; no one can tell you how yours should sound, or what you should or should not do with it.
Your inner voice is there for a reason. If it encourages you to pursue an aligned dream, proceed and pray to connect with the right people when teamwork is inevitable, and it will come to pass in divine timing; no one can cancel your calling except for you! In carrying out what you receive from above, not only are you satisfying your soul by fulfilling its predestined assignments, but you’re blessing somebody else. Before you know it, a chain reaction occurs because now the one you helped is inspired to travel their designated path and serve others. So, what are you waiting for? Get to blessin’!
