Are you dodging the call? I’ve got your number…

Are you dodging the call? And I don't mean 'the call of nature'. I mean the call to empowerment, to your greatness, to rocking your world, seizing the day and being all that you can be. I spent many years dodging that call—finding excuses for not playing big, getting my work out there in a more powerful way, or even just saying YES to some great opportunities that would have been richly rewarding. I even manifested a crisis in order to avoid something really big and important. If we feel unsure of ourselves, our path or our purpose, we often come up with seemingly legitimate reasons for not showing up powerfully and embracing our greater potential. My boyfriend/granny/client needs me. I must finish knitting my sweater. My cat died… Why do we do that? The main reason is fear—of rejection, of not being good enough and all the usual suspects that keep us small and in denial about what's really going on. We may also distract ourselves by answering the call of others, believing that they have what's missing in us and that they're our doorway to success, wealth or fulfillment. We jump on their bandwagon and hope that some of their success or credibility will rub off on us if we hitch a ride with them. Or we may tell ourselves that we're being of greater service to others by staying focused (i.e., small) and not chasing our 'unrealistic' dreams. If this sounds horribly familiar, and if you're ready to start playing big and to answer the call to be powerfully you, you might want to explore the following questions:

• Are you an answering machine? If you're busy answering someone else's call, you won't be able to hear your own line ringing. If, deep down inside, there's a yearning for something more, but you've been ignoring it in favour of something that's 'safer', more 'professional' or less challenging/visible, you're in denial—and you need to re-dial to make the right call.

• Are you screening your calls? If you're second-guessing everything you could be doing, over-thinking the possibilities and outcomes, and creating the dreaded paralysis through analysis, try answering some of those internal calls to see where they take you on the outside.

• Is your line always busy? If you're doing too much and your line is always busy, there'll be no way for people to reach you—and no room for new opportunities to come in. It's easy to get stuck in a loop of doing, striving and chasing, especially if you don't feel brave enough to give life to your own uniqueness. But chasing keeps you disconnected from what's going on inside, pushing away the very things you seek. (Is this ringing any bells?)

• What's the message on your voice mail? Think about the kind of message you're giving the world about you. Are your words powerful, compelling, filled with self-confidence and the warmth of heartfelt connection? Or are you hesitant, unsure, in need of acknowledgement, acceptance or approval from others? Every choice you make demonstrates a particular level of self-worth, so you might want to re-word the message you're transmitting about your value.

• Is this a recording …or a live human being? Are you regurgitating old stuff, using someone else's system, or constantly struggling to make something work for you, instead of feeding and exploring your own ideas, creativity and originality? Putting your world on hold is only going to piss people off, and you only get so many chances to answer the call.

So, do us all a favour and take the damn call. Dare to play big and to be your most powerful self. Nobody else can do you like you can, and it's just one big universal yawn for all concerned if you try to copy someone else. Stop dodging and start connecting. It's your call; if you make it, you just might get the answers you've been looking for.