by Chris Banescu –
You don’t choose a vocation. A vocation chooses you. This is an important truth I have discovered in my life. It’s also a principle that’s reflected in the lives and experiences of many others.
A vocation is different from a career. We typically choose a career. Sometimes we choose multiple careers, especially in free-market economies where the job market is in a constant state of flux. We also pursue different opportunities for earning a decent living either through entrepreneurship or consulting. We use our unique skills to help others. We start a new business or we turn our hobby into an alternative source of income. “A person choosing a career is looking for something that will provide financial and psychological benefits. If your job or career isn’t working for you, you choose a different one,” writes David Brooks, in his book The Road to Character.
A vocation is a unique calling for each of us.
A vocation on the other hand is much more than a job, much more than a business. A vocation is a unique calling for each of us. We feel drawn to doing something meaningful with our lives that aligns not only with our abilities and knowledge, but also with our strongest values and deepest longings. “People generally feel they have no choice in the matter. Their life would be unrecognizable unless they pursued this line of activity,” explains Brooks.
We are all called to our individual vocations in different ways. Some are called by a timeless, still small voice. Some are prompted by indignation. Others discover it as they are drawn to doing something with their unique skills and abilities that resonates in their minds, hearts, and souls. “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated, thus, everyone’s task is unique as his specific opportunity to implement it,” writes Viktor Frankl.
Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life
We typically follow our vocations not for worldly acclaim, reward, honor, or glory. We follow our vocations because we feel compelled to do it, despite the struggles and hardships we endure along the way. As Brooks observes, when we find our purpose, we submit to our “vocations for reasons deeper and higher than utility” and we cling to them “all the more fiercely the more difficulties arise.”
But there is also great joy and satisfaction in finding and following our vocations. I experienced this throughout my life every time I followed the still small voice that guided me towards my destiny. And the same is true of many others. You notice they have “a certain rapt expression” in their eyes. They have “a hungry desire to perform a dance or run an organization to its utmost perfection. They feel the joy of having their values in deep harmony with their behavior. They experience a wonderful certainty of action that banishes weariness from even the hardest days,” describes Brooks.
Find your vocation and you will find the purpose and meaning of your life.
Find your vocation and you will find the purpose and meaning of your life. Be ready and resolute. Following your vocation will demand intense focus, discipline, and hard work. It will require sacrifices. But in the process you will find meaning and discover true happiness and joy. It will all be worth it in the end. Trust me, I’ve experienced this first-hand. I hope you will too.
(Photo credit Pixabay)
