Dieter Pauwels will be joining us for a series of posts. Mr. Pauwels is a Certified Professional Coach, with a focus on life coaching, career counseling & business coaching. (Website: http://www.dieterpauwels.com Blog: http://lifecoaching.dieterpauwels.com )

The following resulted from a series of email conversations with Mr. Pauwels concerning this desire to make change, to get the most out of one’s life.

Hearing the calling

Sometimes you get stuck, or you feel that something is missing. Perhaps you have deep longing to get more out of life.

The only way to get more out of life is to put more of yourself into it, so you can become more, more of who you are.  But then you ask “Who am I?” and you answer in terms of  the things you do, like your job and  the different roles you play, life being a mother, a wife, a sister, an independent sales representative or a caregiver to your parents.

Sometimes you get confused about who you really are, or you feel emotional tired from all the different roles you’ve taken on.  You look in the mirror and wonder who you really are. Do you sometimes wonder? I do.

That longing to get more out of life is like hearing a deeper calling, a voice waiting to be heard and listened to. This voice can manifest itself in any form, size or dimension. It could be in the form of a problem that won’t go away and must be dealt with, a fear that must be faced, a decision to do work that is more expressive of your true nature, or the beginning of anything new such as an exercise plan or a healthy diet change.

It might be a new attitude or a different way of thinking about something.

How to listen to the call?

The first thing to do is actually to stop and take a time out. You want to get out of your own way (of thinking and behaving) and create some space.

Some people find it difficult to take a time out and to make ‘quiet time’ because of their busy routines at work and at home.

Others perceive silence as uncomfortable, or even awkward. They tend to fill up the perceived emptiness in their lives with even more noises, such as television, radio, inner chatter or meaningless conversations.

Being present requires curiosity and mindfulness. It requires that you look at your situation as if you were an observer of your life, with an attitude of kindness and non-judgment. The moment you judge a situation, you’ll label it as either good or bad, and thus limit the possibility of change.

Do you stop and take a time out? If so, how? What method(s) have you found most effective? Or, are you uncomfortable with the silence of your own mind?