We arrive in this world with birthright gifts – then we spend the first half of our lives abandoning or letting others deprive us of them. We are surrounded by expectations that may have little to do with who we really are, expectations held by people who are not trying to help us recognize our true self but to fit us into slots. In families, schools, workplaces, and religious communities, we are trained away from true self towards images of acceptability. Under social pressures we often betray our true self to gain the approval of other.
Vocation (calling) does not come from a voice “out there” calling me to become something I am not. It comes from a voice “in here” calling me to be the person I was born to be. Our deepest calling is to grow into our authentic self-hood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be. From the beginning, our lives lay down clues to selfhood and vocation, though the clues may be hard to decode.
The deepest vocation question is not “What ought I to do with my life?” It is the more elemental and demanding “Who am I? What is my nature?” (Parker J. Palmer. Let Your Life Speak)
Wishing you peace and wellbeing as you look for truth within yourself and let your life speak.
PS: Remember to hold the ones you love just a little closer and tighter this week (without expectations)
