For years education has been focused on helping people “get a job” but shouldn’t it be helping people “find their calling?”  I’m sure many of you just nodded your head and some even said something like, “of course” or “hell yeah.”  It seems a “no brainer” that we would all be better off and happier if we were doing something we feel called to do.  So what exactly is a “calling.”  I’ve been pondering this since reading a recent post on LinkedIn about Bill Parcell’s new book.  It’s basically about his calling to be a football coach and how dejected he was when he decided to “get a job” so his family wouldn’t have to move.  In the end, his wife decided that the family would be happier if Bill followed his calling.  This inspired me on two fronts: 1. What is a calling?  2. How do callings mesh to make life better for a group (family, team, etc.)?  Today I’ll share a few of my thoughts on #1.

I believe a calling has to go further than just having an insatiable passion for something.  I know many people who have a passion for something but it will never be who they are or what they do.  I have a passion for eating chocolate chip cookies but it’s not my calling.  I have a passion for playing basketball but it’s not my calling.  A calling is something that goes much further.  From my perspective it includes 4 elements.  Motivation (passion to pursue), Ability (natural ability plus learned skill), Personality (fit with the type of work and people you will be working with), Spiritual (something beyond yourself is pulling [guiding] you toward this work).  In a way, if you look closely, your calling comes with MAPS.  So do you have a calling or did you just get a job?

Be Better

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