On callings
When I was 8 years old I had my first cavity…well I had my first 4 cavities. The dentist told me I would need to have 4 fillings and they were going to do them at the same time. The days leading up to the fillings I was very nervous, as any kid would be. I’ve never been a fan of needles and I really don’t like the unexpected. This involved both.
My mom, knowing just how nervous I was, came up with a plan. We had this silly pair of sunglasses with lenses not just on the front, but also on the sides. And each lens had a series of fold out lenses. They were silly and hilarious. My mom cut out little smiley faces and put them on each lens. When we got to the dentist that day she reminded me how brave I am. She told me when I got nervous to focus on the smiles.
I sat in that chair as brave as I have ever been and I got my four fillings.
I’m sure someone is reading this and is identifying some roots of my anxiety (I know I am), but I look back on this story with so much fondness. In addition to the sunglasses my mom decked out, my dentist affirmed me the entire time. He kept telling me I was brave and was the best patient.
And I believed him. I held on to these words.
I held on to those words so much that from the age of 8 I no longer feared anything to do with the dentist AND I knew I wanted to be a dentist. Which is a strange profession for an 8 year old to latch on to.
Now, I am not a dentist. But I think 8 year old Julianne missed what was really happening there.
The passion I had at the age of 8 had nothing to do with dentistry. It had to do with a person in my life believing in me so strongly that I showed up in a different way. I was transformed in that moment.
When it comes to your “calling” be wary of the “doing.” Instead look for the roots. What is it about the “doing” that draws you in?
We get distracted by the “doing” and when we mistake this as our “calling” we are left disappointed when it doesn’t go the way we thought.
Our calling is rooted in who we want to be.
My passion for dentistry faded throughout high school, but my passion for believing in people and encouraging them to believe in themselves has only grown stronger. And I can do that no matter where I am in life.
