Find Your True Calling Through Your Emotional Commitments

UPDATED: August 21, 2024
PUBLISHED: June 19, 2017
woman spending time developing her true calling

In this moving talk about stepping into your purpose, Simon T. Bailey challenges you to stop chasing dreams meant for others and find your true calling.

“And I believe, ladies and gentlemen, when you are a creator, you will discover the thing that you want, wants you. You would never have a desire for something unless you already had the capacity to make it happen,” Bailey says.

It’s tough to let go of your normal routine, but Bailey says it’s the key to finding your purpose. By letting go of what you’ve always done, you can get closer to the thing you’re meant to do. “Here’s what I’ve discovered: The reason sometimes people never find their calling is because they have emotional equity in the way they’ve always done it. And all of a sudden when it’s time to let go of what they’ve been doing, they’re like ‘Wait a minute!’ But I’m going to invite you for the remainder of the day to leave the watch on the opposite wrist to serve as a reminder that ‘If I intend to experience brilliant living, what is it that I intend to do?’”

Of course, finding your true calling isn’t the only step you need to take in order to experience true brilliant living. You also must make a commitment and cultivate connections. According to Bailey, there are two types of commitments you can make: emotional and rational. A decade after a breakfast with the then-president of Disney, Bailey realized that “a rational commitment is that a creator will do what they do because they have to, but an emotional commitment is that you do what you do because you want to. And I believe when you have the ‘want to’ as a creator, you will get a chance to, and you will discover how to….”

The commitment to find your true calling

And where do we make this commitment? In increments of 15, seven, 60 and 90. As Bailey explains: “Now here’s how the formula works: 15 minutes a day creates seven days a week. Seven days a week creates 30 days, 30 days creates 90 days. So net-net take away, if I am to be a creator who experiences a breakthrough, live my life in quarters. Every 90 days, how did I get to this point? Well, it’s because of the behaviors and habits that I’ve had for the last 30, 60, 90. How did I get to this point? Based on what I’ve done for the last seven days. How did I get to this point? Based on what I’ve done 15 minutes a day.”

A rational commitment can get you through the day and earn you your paycheck. But it is your emotional connection to your job that helps you find your true calling and encourages you to go above and beyond at work. Achieving this, however, means letting go of the comfort of the path you’ve followed up until then. However, Bailey offers another insight on the matter: “Here’s something else to consider: In life there are only two things we do. We enter through birth and exit through death. What you do from the entrance to the exit determines what you do with your life.”

Explore more SUCCESS Talks videos by topic on SUCCESS magazine’s YouTube Channel, featuring thought-leaders, authors, entrepreneurs and respected researchers in the fields of human psychology, brain health, relationships and more, who share the tried-and-true tenets of human achievement and success.

Running time: 18:30

Filmed April 2017 at SUCCESS Live in Dallas

This article was updated May 2023. Photo by PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

Simon T. Bailey

Simon T. Bailey is an international speaker, writer and personal transformation strategist. He is the author of Shift Your Brilliance: Harness the Power of You, Inc., and Be the SPARK: Five Platinum Service Principles for Creating Customers for Life. When he’s not working, he enjoys rooting for the Buffalo Bills (his hometown team).

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