Following your calling rarely comes with a clear set of instructions. After more than 25 years teaching yoga, meditation, and Yoga Nidra, I’ve seen how uncertainty can arise precisely when something matters most. Coming home from Florence, surrounded by stories of Brunelleschi and Michelangelo, I’m thinking about what happens after we say yes to something bigger than ourselves but have no idea how to begin. Whether we're navigating a life transition, starting a business, or discovering a new direction, the real work often begins before we know what comes next.
Home Again
I’m home from Italy, but part of me is still lying face-down in a Florence street, still climbing between the two shells of Brunelleschi’s dome, still standing in front of a block of marble nobody wanted.
What moves me is the fact that Brunelleschi had no instructions for his dome. Michelangelo inherited a ruined block. David was a kid with a sling who stepped up to fight a giant. Each of them was asked to do something they didn’t know how to do, probably thought impossible, yet each of them said yes to the job.
Being immersed in the birthplace of the Renaissance has me thinking about how often the Universe has big plans for us, plans that seem way way beyond what we think we can do.
There’s a conversation I keep having with the Universe about this. Maybe you’ve had this too. It goes something like this.
Straight Talk With The Universe
Universe: “Hey, you. Yeah, you. I’ve got big plans for you, and I kinda need you to step it up. Look, you’ve got tons of gifts, some hidden and some not so hidden, and I’d like you to stop hiding them so you can serve the world with your amazingness. Here’s my vision for you …”
There’s a drumroll, and you’re shown a glimpse of yourself so incredible, so expanded, so beautiful that you do a double take. You don’t breathe for a second or two. Could this really be you? You dare to believe it for exactly one nanosecond before fear and doubt flood in. Clearly, the Universe has mixed you up with someone else. You spiral into doubt.
Us: “Wow. So, so cool. But for me? No. There’s just no way.”
Universe: “I knew you’d say that. Look, I made you to be this amazing and more, so with all due respect, get over yourself. This is your destiny. Oh, and I’m not going to let this go.”
Silence.
We deliberate. We doubt.
Weeks pass, months, maybe years. We kid ourselves that if we just ignore it, the calling will go away. But the Universe keeps putting people and events in our path, a billion clues knocking us upside the head, until we’re so tired of the confirmation bruises that we finally call back, almost angry:
US: “Ok, Universe! Ok … I’ll do it. I’m hella scared, I’m still not sure I can do it but if you say this is my destiny then … I’ll do it. Now, just tell me how.”
Universe: “I knew you’d come around. But here’s the thing about telling you how … you gotta figure that out on your own. That’s how you’re going to become who you need to become in this!”
Us: “You’re kidding, right? Really?! I mean, I finally said yes to the impossible, and you won’t even throw me a bone?! Come on!!
Universe: “It’s already inside of you. Follow your gut. Get curious. You’ll take some wrong turns, those are invaluable lessons. You WILL figure it out. Have fun with it.”
Us: “Fun, my @$$.” As you head out the door and take it on.
Is This Red?
A beautiful movie that captures this perfectly is Wim Wender’s Wings of Desire. If you haven’t seen it, find it and watch it immediately, but bring a glass of milk to wash it down, because it’s richer than an entire Black Forest cake. (PSA: Please ignore the Hollywood remake, City of Angels.)
Set in divided Berlin, the film follows Damiel, an angel who lives in an eternal, back-and-white existence until he falls in love with a human woman, a trapeze artist. He yearns for human love so much that he decides to cash in his wings, trading an eternity of safe but colorless angeldom for one full-spectrum human life.
As he comes to after his fall, he touches a small gash on his head and meets, for the first time, pain, blood, and color. He stops a passerby and asks, “Is this red?” The person widens their eyes and path to avoid this obviously crazy, bleeding man on the street. And certainly someone experiencing this world with such pure eyes would seem crazy in our often anesthetized world. Next, he’s been watching humans enjoy coffee for centuries and can’t wait to taste some of this aromatic elixir. He gets some from a street vendor. It’s way too hot and he burns his tongue. But despite being greeted into this world with both the cut on his head and his burnt tongue, Damiel doesn’t despair. Instead, he marvels at the full spectrum of life, celebrating even pain as proof of being truly alive.
Later, the newly mortal Damiel meets another angel-turned-human: Peter Falk, playing himself in Berlin to film an episode of Columbo. Who better than a classic, salty sleuth to dramatize the mystery of being human? They reminisce for a minute until Falk is called back to the film set. As he’s walking away, Daniel calls after Falk desperately, “Wait!” You must tell me everything there is to know about being human!” Falk doesn’t even break stride. Over his shoulder, he calls back something like, “You have to figure it out for yourself, kid. That’s the fun of it!”
I absolutely LOVE this.
The True Gift
Just like in life, as soon as we take the leap toward what feels impossible, we are often met with pain and endless questions, the biggest being how on earth we are going to do this. Then we meet angels along the way, often in the unlikeliest forms and places, who encourage us to keep going and who remind us that figuring it out is what turns us into the true angels that we are.
That’s the gift. What we thought was the goal at the outset was just the tantalizing carrot that got us out the door and turned us into pilgrims. Who we become in the process is the true destiny, not the dome, not the statue, not the finish line.
Angels Along The Way
Forging your own path doesn’t mean walking it alone. Whenever I’m at a crossroads, or supporting someone else at one, I remember a few essentials. First, take a deep breath, because it never helps to freak out. Second, look around and remember that you have resources. Third, get curious, ask questions, and get some help. Fourth, finding help along the way is essential to any pilgrimage.
That’s the work I do with my mentees, whether it’s starting a business, a transition in life, or just finding greater satisfaction in what you’re already doing. I don’t do the work for you. What I bring is 25 years of experience, a wider view, and steady support when it inevitably gets tough, whether you’re finding your place in your field, clarifying your message, building your website, or creating systems that free you to do what only you can do.
If you’ve said yes to something big and you’re staring at the “how,” that’s the gap I help people bridge.
Your Yes
What have you said yes to?
What’s one brave step you can take this week, even if you don’t know what the second step is yet? Take the step.
As the great Ram Dass said, “We are all just walking each other home.”
It’s an honor to walk with you.
FAQ — Following Your Calling and Finding Your Path
What does it mean to follow your calling?
Following your calling means recognizing something meaningful that draws you forward, even when the path is uncertain. It may involve creative work, a career change, starting a business, or simply living more fully in alignment with what matters to you.
How do I follow my calling when I don't know where to start?
Begin with curiosity rather than expecting a complete plan. Consider what feels meaningful, notice the resources already available to you, and identify one manageable step. You don't have to know the entire journey before beginning.
How can I overcome self-doubt when making a big life change?
Self-doubt often accompanies unfamiliar situations. Rather than waiting for every fear to disappear, acknowledge the uncertainty, take a breath, and seek perspective from people you trust. Small steps can help you learn what comes next without requiring certainty from the outset.
Can meditation and Yoga Nidra help during life transitions?
Meditation and Yoga Nidra can provide opportunities to pause, rest, and observe your thoughts and emotions without immediately reacting to them. During a life transition, these practices may help you approach uncertainty with greater awareness and perspective.
Why is finding your path sometimes more important than reaching a goal?
A goal can give you direction, but the process of moving toward it often teaches you things you couldn't have learned beforehand. Challenges, unexpected turns, and relationships along the way can shape who you become, even when the outcome differs from your original expectations.
How can mentorship help when starting a business or navigating a transition?
Mentorship can offer experience, perspective, practical guidance, and support as you make decisions. Scott Moore works with mentees on matters such as business development, clarifying their message, building websites, creating systems, and navigating personal or professional transitions.