Life Callings for the Mainstream

So just how “out there” is the idea of having a life calling? Is it the stuff of tea leaves and crystal balls, or is it an important factor if you are interested in consciously designing your life (and not letting life just happen to you)?

Unless you ask yourself some pretty fundamental questions about what you want to do, what you want your life to look like, and how you want to feel, you are probably going to end up with a life that is in “default” mode: You go into accounting because your dad was an accountant, or even because you like numbers – while never looking deeper at what you want your life to be or where you want to end up. And one day you realize you are miserable doing the work you are doing. But you are afraid it is too late to make a change. (Don’t worry, it’s not.)

A life calling doesn’t have to be thought of as a magical or metaphysical thing. It is quite simply something that is woven together from your passions, skills, essence, life experiences, and what you love to give to others. It can be thought of fairly scientifically with this formula, and it can be found by examining each of these pieces closely.

Now, I would be lying if I tried to pretend that I approach the subject this scientifically. I do believe that somehow in this life we are all set on a path for learning, growth and giving that influences who we are, what we experience, and what we love in order to perfectly shape and create a life that helps us grow, while at the same time enabling us to be happy. Can you believe that what you would love to do most and what you are best at is also the thing that will make you the happiest? How cool is that?

But if you just don’t believe there is something set out before you that you are supposed to accomplish, surely you can get behind the idea that doing some things will make you happier than others. Let’s compare running a business to running a life: When you run a business, if you want it to be successful, it’s not enough to do the next thing that is before you and put out fires (that is, it’s not enough to work IN your business). You need to think about your business, create a business plan, a mission and a vision, and action steps to achieving them (to be successful you’ll need to work ON your business). Same is true with life. It’s not reasonable to think you will end up with a wildly successful life (whatever your definition of that is) if you don’t have a mission and vision, action steps, and a plan.

Why wouldn’t you think about what would make you really, really happy (vision) and build on that? And if you don’t know where to start with it, why wouldn’t you start there? Why stay stuck just hoping to win the lottery, be recognized, or wishing for some other change? It ain’t gonna happen unless you make it happen. But the good news is, making it happen is completely within your power, whether you believe that your calling has been created for you or is of your own creation.