Your Calling

Today's reflection discusses how your vocation or calling in life is supported or suppressed by your career, avocations or hobbies, and the busy life that seems to surround us.

Another author suggests that finding your true calling is combining your birthright gifts with your passions in life.  The problem is, discovering your gifts.  While this particular blog is written for men, the advice is quite good on how you might discover what those gifts are.  First would be finding that method of quieting your mind, letting go of the outside voices, that have often become "inside" voices (how many of you have your mother's voice reminding you about eating or neatness or hair style, etc.?).  There's a link at this blog that talks about methods of using activities that settle your mind, and take you back to a simpler time. 

Part of the reason we have such a difficult time in finding our vocations, or in becoming all that we were meant to be, is that we look for external validation of what we do.  Rather than trusting our own thoughts, feelings and sense of "rightness", we seek to emulate others we consider greater than ourselves.  But as Rabbi Zusya has said, “In the coming world, they will not ask me: ‘Why were you not Moses?” They will ask me: ‘Why were you not Zusya?’"

Knowing that you can learn something from every other person you meet is a good thing.  Realizing that everyone you meet is also going to learn something from you puts the responsibility back on yourself to figure out who you are, and what your calling is, so that you are fulfilling your own responsibility to God.

Fast from the world for a bit.  Focus.  Experience each thing in life, one at a time - for at least a little while - and listen to the voices within.