Honor Your Life and Your Calling!

Are you finding yourself at a career crossroads? What are you doing to answer your question, “Which direction shall I pursue?”

To paraphrase Thomas Merton — a Trappist monk known to be a proponent of interfaith understanding — an individual knows when they’ve found their vocation when they stop thinking about how to live, and thought and life are one.

Have you given yourself permission to invest time and energy to discover and honor your calling instead of searching for another “logical” job? What’s your calling? Do you know?

Some individuals knew exactly what they wanted to do with their lives from an early age. My friend Jim wanted to be a doctor; he’s now a successful ophthalmologist. Another found her vocation organically. As a child, Robyn spent her playtime drawing and coloring. She’s an artist; her life revolves around painting.

But the rest of us—whether faced with too many options or barely any—struggle on our personal journey. Many never invest the time to truly know themselves and discover their calling. Some never question or give themselves permission to articulate what they long to do. Instead, they pursue the career paths their parents chose. Others focus less on finding their vocation and more on seeking work that appeals to them.

Here’s the blind spot that many people have: our interests may or may not align with our calling because they may change over time and don’t necessarily reflect the core of who we are. We don’t realize this until we arrive at a crossroads and recognize that our interests and priorities have shifted, leading us to ponder, “What am I meant to do next?”

Are you at this juncture in your life? Here’s an insight that you might have come across before and have forgotten: instead of comparing occupational titles and job descriptions, how about looking at archetypes?

Archetypes are universal personalities that appear in all cultures throughout human history. Archetypes lurk in our psyches and influence us. We encounter them in books, movies, and daily life.

activist	advocate	archivist	artist	builder
caregiver	chronicler	coach	connector	designer
entertainer	entrepreneur	explorer	healer	innovator
investigator	mentor	musician	pioneer	polymath
reformer	rescuer	researcher	scholar	scientist
seeker	storyteller	teacher	warrior	writer

Research, reflect, and identify which one resonates deeply with you. As we’re all multi-dimensional, you may identify with more than one. Select your top three and focus on your number one archetype.

Imagine yourself in your chosen role. For example, if you conclude that you love teaching, you don’t have to limit yourself to being a school teacher or a professor. You can combine your love of teaching with your love for nature and educate others about astronomy, forestry, or oceanography.

Another example: if you find yourself compelled to heal others, you’re not confined to roles like paramedic, ER nurse, physician, or scientist. You can also heal others through music, writing, or art.

Archetypes are embedded within professional roles. Examine your resume. Do you find a recurring role that reflects your archetype? Or has it been absent from your experience? If so, there’s no better time to start anew. When reviewing job descriptions, consider your chosen archetype and where you might fit in best. If you can’t find a fitting role, consider starting your own company.

In the big picture, once you’ve identified the archetype that reflects your calling and who you are, begin your journey from there.

Merton also asked, “How do you expect to arrive at the end of your own journey if you take the road to another person’s city? How do you expect to reach your own perfection by leading somebody else’s life? His sanctity will never be yours; you must have the humility to work out your own salvation in a darkness where you are absolutely alone.”

Don’t be distracted by what others wish for you. Don’t allow self-doubt and fears to hold you back. Compartmentalize them in your internal landscape and ignore them. Envision yourself in your archetypal role and channel all your energy toward honoring who you are and your calling.

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