Vocational Calling

[invisible]

I have created a thread like this before, but I thought it could be good to refresh discussion about it, both for new members and longstanding members.

Do you have a vocational calling? Some sense of being drawn to a particular career or "mission" in life that you see as being particularly suitable for you?

What kind of steps have you taken and are you planning towards achieving your vocational goals?

If you don't have such a vocation, would you like to have one? What do you think it would be like to have a vocation?

 

[Breeze]

Its no secret on here that I've been wanting to become an English teacher and teach in Japan for years/ since I was in secondary school even.

I'm almost there, I've almost got a bachelor's degree and I've earned my TEFL certification this year. In all honesty though I'm a little worried that this wont be what I want but all this might just be anxiety over the whole moving abroad (and away from home) for the first time in my life.

This has felt like a calling of sorts for so long but I can't imagine what else I'd want to do if this doesn't end up being the job I enjoy, or at least don't hate waking up for every morning.

 

[invisible]

Its no secret on here that I've been wanting to become an English teacher and teach in Japan for years/ since I was in secondary school even.

I'm almost there, I've almost got a bachelor's degree and I've earned my TEFL certification this year. In all honesty though I'm a little worried that this wont be what I want but all this might just be anxiety over the whole moving abroad (and away from home) for the first time in my life.

This has felt like a calling of sorts for so long but I can't imagine what else I'd want to do if this doesn't end up being the job I enjoy, or at least don't hate waking up for every morning.

Sounds like a great adventure. I think Japan would be a wonderful place to live.

Is there anything special that draws you to it apart from how wonderful it would be to live in Japan? (Which seems like a good enough reason to me.)

 

[Breeze]

It's just something I've wanted to do for years.
I used to really love their animation but that not something I particularly enjoy anymore.

I'm not so sure anymore but after all this time I want to follow through.

 

[invisible]

It's just something I've wanted to do for years.
I used to really love their animation but that not something I particularly enjoy anymore.

I'm not so sure anymore but after all this time I want to follow through.

I think you're bound to get somewhere with it and it's great that you're going to follow through with it. (My 2c)

 

[Night Owl]

I do and I'm living it. If I told you, I'd have to kill you

What I will say, is that many people think by finding their vocation that they'll find happiness and fulfillment and that everything will just fall into place when one has arrived at the state of living one's dream or call or whatever one might call it. Whereas the little I do know on this, is that this is off the mark. For rather, one's vocation is simply the means, and the right pathway for one to be on in order to find those things: happiness, fulfillment etc.

It's funny, we spend so long dreaming about arriving at the point of our vocation (if that the case for some people, as it was with myself), that we forget once we set foot on that ship, it's simply the very beginning of a meaningful voyage: a voyage that has its tempests, and moments of profound serenity - yet all worthwhile, and in some sense, part of the adventure - although I personally don't view my experience as an adventure, but perhaps more like a pilgrimage

Great thread.

 

[invisible]

I do and I'm living it. If I told you, I'd have to kill you

What I will say, is that many people think by finding their vocation that they'll find happiness and fulfillment and that everything will just fall into place when one has arrived at the state of living one's dream or call or whatever one might call it. Whereas the little I do know on this, is that this is off the mark. For rather, one's vocation is simply the means, and the right pathway for one to be on in order to find those things: happiness, fulfillment etc.

It's funny, we spend so long dreaming about arriving at the point of our vocation (if that the case for some people, as it was with myself), that we forget once we set foot on that ship, it's simply the very beginning of a meaningful voyage: a voyage that has its tempests, and moments of profound serenity - yet all worthwhile, and in some sense, part of the adventure - although I personally don't view my experience as an adventure, but perhaps more like a pilgrimage

Great thread.

Thanks and thank you for the interesting contribution,

How old were you when you discovered it? Was there some catalyst that somehow made everything become clear?

 

[Night Owl]

Thanks and thank you for the interesting contribution,

How old were you when you discovered it? Was there some catalyst that somehow made everything become clear?

Thanks for the respectful and kind manner you deal with the tender topic of someone's vocation!

It was something I spent my late childhood fantasizing about, and it never left me that that was what I was meant to do. However, I certainly considered other paths, and made movements towards them in concrete reality and in my imagination haha. In the end I knew what I really wanted to do, despite the voices of others and my repressing it to cater to them; and so I followed my heart almost recklessly in the eyes of some, among them changing social spheres, and eventually moving geographically - but even in hindsight, I know I wasn't reckless, simply passionately following my heart. I have no regrets at all in this regard - quite the opposite.

It was only realised when I was 20. Was there a catalyst that made everything become clear? Yes and no. Yes, because I had a certain intuitive knowing of what my vocation was and a vague notion of what that ought to involve and look like, and this was certain. No, because I also had my own fantasies about what this might look like - the who, what, where and how - which muddled such clarity, and I had to be open enough to letting go of those - being in relationship with key others, in unfolding my story and listening to theirs, played some part in this. In letting go of these agendas, and taking small opportunities one after another as they opened up, I eventually almost just stumbled across my vocation. With each step into the dark, with but a candle light of inner conviction, things ironically began to become clearer, until it was as clear as it could get - "This is it! This is where I'm meant to be!" :S

 

[acd]

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a social worker. Everyone in my family told me I would never be able to support myself in that field and it would be very stressful. So I went to school and earned a degree in another field. After school, I searched for a job in my career field and never even got an interview, despite having a portfolio of freelance and internship work. I worked through college at a domestic violence shelter, though, and maybe they saw that as not having relevant work experience and disregarded the other stuff. I have always worked in human services and never had a problem finding a job despite not having a degree in social work or psychology. Now, I work with kids and adults with developmental disabilities. I do feel an urge to work in a field where I can advocate for others who are at risk and make sure they have the services and resources they need. It's hard to explain, but working in this field just feels like home or it feels right.

 

[the]

I strongly believe that my current vocational calling is helping others find and attain their vocational calling.

I do agree with Night Owl in that what he seems to be describing is the concept of mastery of ones vocation. Learning to do something so well that you are unable to do it wrong is not a path that I would describe as 'happy'. But once you die you can be happy that some people are going to be jealous of how good you were at that specific task, and that your name will come up once in a while when people ask in a forum "If you could have a conversation with one person, who would it be?"