I recently had a reader request that I write a post about finding your passion or calling in life. Honestly, the request took me by surprise. Partly because I feel like I am still in the process of finding my own way. And partly because I don’t see myself as appearing to have it together enough to share on this subject.
I was also flattered by the request because I’m not what anyone would traditionally call successful. Nor did I take the normal path to get to where I am (wherever that is). I spent more time in college trying to figure out what I wanted to do for a career than I should have. Growing up I always wished I was one of those people who wanted to be a doctor, or pilot, or lawyer. That way I could lay out a specific list of things I needed to do in order to take my chosen career path. But I was never that person. Instead I’m the guy who moved to Los Angeles when I was 28, against the advice of everyone (including common sense).
But then I thought about what I would answer if someone asked what my calling was, and I realized I do have an answer for that question. I have a passion and a calling. So I tried to backtrack from there and see how I arrived at that point.
In doing so I decided to give my best shot at writing about how to find your calling. Because I remember what it felt like to be in college trying to find out who I was. Because I remember being younger and trying to discover my own way of how to do life. And because I remember feeling completely lost in my search of how to know which future to chase. (And because I appreciate knowing someone is enjoying my writing enough to request a topic.)
Here is what I would tell younger me about finding a calling.
Look through the lens of your worldview.
Everyone has a worldview. You have a lens which you use to see the world through. This lens is made up of the most important things to you. It is a set of principles and beliefs that make up your filter in life. They say you often find what you believe when it costs you something to believe it. That also reveals something about your worldview.
For some people their lens is their sexuality. For some the lens is their vocation. For some it is their belief system or faith. Your lens will determine whether you value people, or pleasure, or profit, or power, or whatever.
Mine is Christianity. My lens says I have to try to see the world as Jesus does. To value the things that he values. Therefore my calling is going to line up with the values that look important though my lens or worldview. For example, my worldview places a higher value on people than it does on possessions. So when looking for a calling I am not as concerned with making money as I am with how my business or job or life affects others.
If you know your worldview you can narrow down your choices considerably. So the first thing I did to find a calling was to look through the lens of my worldview.
Find your passion.
Often your calling lies very close to your passion. If you can find what you are passionate about you can often find a calling somewhere close by. To find what you are passionate about just look for the things that get you excited. Look for the things you get excited to talk about. Think of the things that get you out of bed in the morning. Your passion is probably somewhere in those things.
Passion is revealed by what you enjoy doing. This could be a hobby or an interest and not necessarily something that pays the bills. Your passion could be helping people. Your passion could be talking. Your passion could be pleasure. Your passion could be making money. Your passion could be literally anything that interests you. Anything you get overly excited about.
Make a living and not just a life.
Life is a balance. Finding your calling is a balance. You have to be able to pay the bills. But you also want to enjoy being alive. After you find your passion then you must find a way to make a living doing it. Sometimes the path is clear: You love learning about the human body. You like to help people be in good health. You enjoy healing people. You want to wear a white coat. Boom, became a doctor.
Other times it isn’t as clear. You might have to get creative with ways to make a living doing something you are passionate about. But I’m pretty sure that’s how we ended up with Starbucks, Apple, and Stephen King. Think outside the box. Many people are getting paid to do things that they once did for fun. Ask any professional athlete.
You also need to be good at it. Your passion has to intersect with your ability. When I was young I wanted to be a professional baseball player. I’m not. Just because you have a desire to do something doesn’t mean it pays the bills. But if you get creative, one day it might.
Trial and error.
I read somewhere that the average person will change careers eight times in their life. Not just jobs, but careers. I have no idea if that’s true but I bet most people change at least a few times.
Life isn’t permanent. Try something and if it doesn’t work then try something else. Sometimes the only way to find your calling is to explore options and find what feels right. Sometimes it takes a couple of failures to find that intersection between your passion and your ability to make a living. Those failures are part of the process.
I’m still learning. I’m still growing. And even though I have a calling, I’m still in the development stage. At this point I’m guessing I always will be.
But if I had to tell my younger self (and my younger reader) how to find a calling, I would say it’s similar to a Venn Diagram. Look for the intersection of your worldview, your passion, and your ability to make a living, And remember that your vocation will fall inside your calling, and not the other way around.
Good luck!
P.S. To my young reader in Texas: Chin up. Head down. Seekers find. So keep seeking. Thanks for the question.
