Dude, I’m calling you out!

Dude… I’m Calling You Out!

Inspiration for my blog posts come in many different ways. Sometimes its something I read, see, or more often than not, its something I hear. These moments are surreal. For a moment the conversation I am overhearing becomes amplified; as if spoken through a mega-phone. A sentence is grabbed out of time and space and embedded into my mind. I recently had such an experience.
While walking down the sidewalk at a popular local outdoor shopping area, I overheard a rather animated conversation taking place between two teenagers that were passing by me in the opposite direction. One said very loudly to the other just as we were passing each other “dude, I’m calling you out!” What I heard next, was a voice inside myself that said, that’s your next blog post. The universe nudges us all the time like this, but we don’t always pay attention.

So here goes… what does it mean to be called out? I believe it means a range of things. It can mean being challenged to prove what we are saying. Perhaps we are being asked to take a sincere look at ourselves from a new perspective. Maybe someone is pointing out that we are not being fair or honest or both. Conceivably it is a call to recognize within ourselves, things we are expansively critiquing   in others. Taking a deep look at the self is perhaps one of the hardest things a person needs to learn.

The following is in no way a comprehensive list, but within it you might find or sense a “call out” you are in need of at this time. Why “call outs”? I firmly believe not only are they necessary for all of us, but in their absence, we don’t grow, learn or achieve.

Dude… about health

• Are you eating junk? Not fueling this incredible gift known as a human body in a way that it can operate at its fullest potential can have consequences. Just like the common saying bantered about in the technology world, garbage in, garbage out.
• Do you sit too much? Not getting up and about and exercising your muscles and heart can cause them to atrophy and lose strength. Use it or lose it definitely applies here.
• Do you ever stretch? Not stretching your muscles can cause stiffness and a constriction of your range of motion limiting you in so many ways.
• Do you consume too many sugary or alcoholic beverages? Not drinking too many sugary drinks and alcohol can have a positive impact on your health. Water is vital though, as 60% of our body is made up of it.
• Do you get sufficient sleep? Not getting proper sleep can have dangerous effects including cardiovascular issues, arrhythmia, high blood pressure, premature aging, weight gain and depression.

Dude… about relationships

• Are you honest with others? Not being honest in our dealings and communications with others can be very damaging to us personally and to others. We often think we are being compassionate with someone else by withholding honesty but more likely we are only exacerbating the problem. Others reasons at times people are not honest is in hopes of some personal gain or in an attempt to maintain a positive self-concept. In the end though, these reasons are terribly detrimental.
• Do you take more than you give? Not having balance and reciprocity in our relationships can create resentment, anger and a lack of respect. This can lead to people avoiding you, expressing disgust with your demands or needs and dismissing you as someone not worth spending energy or time on.
• Are you willing to compromise? Not being willing to participate in the give and take of a relationship can have a devastating impact. My way or the “highway” is not the best plan to win friends and influence people.

Dude… about money and the material world

• Do you dwell on the money or things you don’t have? Not recognizing the things, you do have, is a common issue in our society in particular. Every day we are bombarded with advertisements, campaigns and messages of what we need and should work to get. Stopping to truly appreciate what we do have is so important.
• Do you spend more than you make? Not living within your means creates any number of issues not the least of which is financial pressure and stress. Americans are really good at two things, making money and spending it. In the long run this doesn’t work out well.
• Is your self-worth wrapped up in what you own? Not being able to distinguish self-worth from net worth is a big problem.  Believing a particular possession makes you more desirable or important is an illusion. Ironically, many of the most remembered and revered people from history had little to no money or possessions at all.

Dude… about spirituality

• Is your spiritual practice merely an activity? Not being transformed and changed by a spiritual practice is a tragic waste of time. Merely attending a particular group, church or other that is about transformation and not experiencing any is unfortunately very common. I was once “flipped-off” by a guy leaving a church parking lot after Sunday services because he didn’t like me riding a bike on the same road he was driving on. I think you get my point.
• Do you practice what you preach? Not actually doing what you suggest others do in order to be more in harmony with your highest self or in right relationship with a power higher than you is plainly hypocrisy. All too often its easier to suggest something to others than to do it ourselves.
• Does your ego have the upper hand? Not being able to hear the messages of your higher self leads to an ego-based life. Remember you don’t become a spirit when you die. You already ARE a spirit – right here and now. A magnificent being of energy, light and love. Act like it.

We are all on this journey together. It’s a process. We are a work in progress. Patience and understanding of each other is so important. But we do on occasion need “called-out” It’s how we grow.

Written by: Urban Shaman

Leave a Reply


WordPress.com Logo


Google photo


Twitter picture


Facebook photo


Connecting to %s