A better calling in my life?

What is a calling? Your life’s calling is what makes you feel that life is meaningful. It helps you live a purposeful life. Callings look different for everybody. Some people, for example, want to help others as part of their calling.

A career is rapid motion. A course of action. Sure! A professional path in life. Even progress through life. Here we are! That means a careerist is one who rushes wildly and makes personal advancement his or her aim in life!

What can we do if “career doubts” won’t go away? First, allow me to quote my Bible, especially Jude (Watch out! Sound the alarm!), who writes in the style of a teacher watching a freight train bear down on a student driver. Yes, bells ring out: “Be merciful to those who doubt.” (Jude 1:22).

What does my calling in life mean? Your calling can be thought of as the urge to share your gifts with the world. When you express your gifts for the sake of others, you often experience the joy of being fully alive.

A true calling is a career or walk of life that a person feels compelled or meant to pursue. Finding meaning in life is something people often spend a lot of time contemplating. Some individuals, however, may feel a passion so strong that they quickly know in their hearts what they were born to do.

“The way that people pick up careers is incredibly primitive,” said Nicholas Lore, founder of the Rockport Institute, a career coaching firm, and author of “The Pathfinder.” Strong tobacco, indeed. That’s why so many people are dissatisfied with their jobs.

Believe me, I have always thought about finding a true calling for myself. Sure, people whose careers aren’t the right fit often feel like impostors, as Professor Robert I. Sutton, an organizational psychologist at Stanford University in Palo Alto, said. Very, very well said, sir.

Notice dreams and signs. Prioritize creative expression. Think about what you used to love. Notice what feels good. Turn down the distractions. Pay attention to what keeps coming back. Try new things regularly.

How about you, my dear reader of this column? Are you also placing too high a value on the external rewards of a job, like money, prestige and power? Of course, for many of us (most?), these things are indeed important. Hold on, please! The work you do, the skills your job requires and the value of your work are really more vital to fulfillment. Paperwork or not … You think you’ve found a better career fit? Go ahead, but don’t expect it to be your life’s calling!

I waited for my “better calling” (what a terrible term!) while experiencing many other wonderful moments in life. I also realized that several professional things I did in the past were not very compatible with me. But I gained many valuable experiences.

Today, I am what I am. And I am proud of it. Almost 72. A retiree with so many opportunities still available in the Philippines.

+++

Questions, comments or suggestions? Email me at doringklaus@gmail.com, follow me on Facebook or LinkedIn, or visit one of my websites: www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com.