1. Resist begins the cycle. Change always involves loss, no matter how positive the call is. We are wedded to the status quo, even if it is painful or boring. Some question or attack the source of call; others question themselves, feeling inadequate or unworthy. To move beyond resistance, we need a sign, indication of a power greater than ourselves.

2. Reclaim means discovering assets from the past: personal, family, tribe or religious tradition. It's a relational step; we cannot do it alone. We are seen with eyes of love, recognized, named in a new way. A biblical story can provide the lens to see God's invitation to "grow our soul" by acting on this call.

3. Revelation draws back the curtain on possibility to give us a glimpse of the future--God's intention for our lives. We can attune our senses through a daily practice. For some it is silence or tracking dreams, for others it might be volunteering in your potential field.

The Poison River is a barrier between belief and action, between private revelation and public accountability, a struggle between trust and fear. Some will pull back, holding onto unrealized dreams. Others push forward, able to trust God's presence, in the face of opposition or fear. We must cross The Poison River to bring the soul's call into being.

4. Risk actually births the call in time and space. We focus on essentials, prune away extras, exercise discipline to tend emerging aspects of call. Attention to nonverbal and creative components help with this. It's a whole body experience, demanding everything for a while. This step is the counterpart of step #1, claiming the call which we resisted initially.

5. Relate requires involvement of others, engaging systems and thought patterns in a new way. A new community forms around call, giving it depth and complexity, ritual and celebration to acknowledge the spiritual (even miraculous) elements. This step mirrors step #2, advancing the story which was partially reclaimed before.

6. Release is the stage of servant leadership and servant learning, helping others to learn and grow within the context of the call which has developed beyond one person's initiative. Release begins to prepare us for the next round of call, the next soulwork cycle. This step is the counterpart of #3, trusting that God is present as time and events move beyond our own efforts.