Vocation
“Vocation
does not come from willfulness. It comes from listening. I must
listen to my life and try to understand what it is truly about—quite
apart from what I would like it to be about—or my life will never
represent anything real in the world, no matter how earnest my
intentions.”
Parker
Palmer (Let Your Life Speak)
Most
of us, when we think about vocation, think of the work one does in
the world—doctor, lawyer, chef, teacher. But vocation literally
means, “calling,” as in, spiritual calling. It means finding one's own true voice. What are we called to
do in this lifetime—quite apart from how we make a living.
Sometimes our work turns out to be an expression of our calling,
but most of us don't have that luxury. Most of us work to make enough
money to feed ourselves and pay our bills, and we do whatever pays us
the most.
I
don't know about you, but when I went to college, I was focused on a
profession—my goal was to get a degree that would lead to a good
job and a comfortable living. Most people think of college that way.
Either that, or we follow the dictates and desires of our parents, or
we continue a family tradition in a particular profession. Very few
of us go with the intention of spending those four precious years
listening to what calls us, looking for what speaks to our deepest
selves, following a course of study that taps into our heart of hearts.
We're too afraid of getting a, so called, “useless degree.”
Some
of us have schooled ourselves to the nth degree—only to discover
that we hate the work we do, even when it pays well. Some of us go
through decades of training because we are doing what's expected of
us—achieving success. We wonder what on earth is wrong with us when
we find that our heart is not in it. There's a clue there. Our heart
is the center of vocation. We have to listen to our heart. Vocation
is not found outside ourselves. We are not called from without.
Vocation requires deep listening—within. It's never too late to listen.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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