Can you hear your calling above all the noise?

December 04, 2025•2 min read

Can you hear your calling above all the noise?

I’ve never seen so many earphone options in my life as in the marketplace today … tiny, big, over the ear, large enough to hide your ears from view and give the impression you could have alien origins. Hmm …

It’s the modern need to be tuned into something, somewhere ALL the time. Being told we can learn and entertain ourselves on the go, walking, running, driving, etc etc etc. Use every moment to absorb something. Do this! Do that! Don’t waste a minute!

Stop the world! I want to get off! Or at least provide barf bags!

Have you heard that we all have a calling? Have you unplugged your earphones long enough so you can hear it? Or turned off the TV or computer videos to blink and refocus on who or what is around you?

I miss my stroke and brain injury camps like crazy, reminded of just how important these events are to the survivors and caregivers who attend and the volunteers and staff who give their hearts, talents and time to these individuals.

For the uneducated who have never attended, they may think all attendees constantly need assistance or guidance. They are soooooo wrong. Our campers have callings, too, to help, lift, connect with and entertain each other.

They “hear” their calling and respond in amazing ways. I remember crossing the campgrounds in Texas when I heard the familiar hum of an electric wheelchair. It was a chair-avan as two campers held on to get a ride up the slope. I laughed the entire time I quickly photographed the adventure.

In New Mexico I saw Wendy sit down to assist fellow camper Shawna with her lunch. I had set my camera down on another table so I grabbed my cell phone and captured the moment.

I was answering when God tapped on my brain, “Hey, get these shots before they’re gone forever! That’s why I sent you!”

What’s YOUR calling? Are you tuning out the noisy background to listen to the messages being sent to your soul? Are you missing the best moments of LIFE when you decide to ignore “reality”?

You’re here for a reason, and I guess I’m here to remind you of that. Whew! Glad I figured that out! Now, get to work!

Hey, drop me a line at [email protected] or leave a comment below. I’d love to speak to your group, organization or company about working our way through the pain and challenges of everyday life. You want straight talk? You got me!

Monica Vest Wheeler

A former weekly newspaper reporter and editor, Monica Vest Wheeler focuses on coping with and surviving the everyday and emotional challenges of brain-related injuries, illnesses and diseases. In addition to co-authoring a book on coping with cancer, Monica has written about Alzheimer’s in “Alzheimer’s, Dementia & Memory Loss: Straight Talk for Families & Caregivers,” one of the books in her Help Me Cope & Survive! series. Her latest projects in the series focus on coping with the daily challenges of stroke, brain injuries and brain tumors-brain cancer. She’s spent thousands of hours working with and interviewing hundreds of patients, survivors, families and caregivers, and healthcare professionals, and interviewed individuals affected by the horrors of the Holocaust and intolerance. She’s given dozens of presentations on ways to cope with the emotions of catastrophic injuries, illnesses and diseases; the Holocaust and tolerance; the need to communicate; ways to express emotions on paper and verbally, how to use family history to better understand oneself and family today; and much more. She’s also interviewed individuals affected by the horrors of the Holocaust and intolerance. Monica’s warm and engaging style is helping to bridge the silence that is so pervasive for those dealing with disease, loss and crisis.

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