It is common for people to associate the term ‘calling’ with an activity. We say, “I’ve found my calling,” when we discover something we’re good at. But here at Simply Great Lives, we use the word ‘calling’ to refer to your outcome. This is the impact that you create in the world. Let’s talk about it.
It is freeing to associate our calling, or our purpose, with an outcome because it creates options. When we associate our purpose with an activity we do or a skill set, it limits us to one type of action. We do this with our career as well. We say things like, “I can’t drive a cab. I’m a carpenter.” As if our career is something we are rather than something we do.
If in looking for our calling, we are looking for that one activity we want to do our whole life, it can be pretty daunting. We wonder, “What if I get bored doing it?” And we consider, “I have lots of skills. How do I pick just one?” The answer is you don’t pick just one. Instead we pick an outcome or a result that you want to create.
Suppose, for example, that you decide that you can’t stand to see kids that have lost hope in their future. So you discover/decide that your calling is to give kids hope. Now that you’ve nailed down the outcome you want to create, you are free to use all of yourself – your skills, your inborn talents, your connections, your finances, your time, and more – to attack this problem and give kids hope. You may uncover that with your connections, you know some folks who are wealthy and are willing to partner with you. Then you may notice that you have a talent for encouraging and motivating people. So you can pull all of this together and you can mentor underprivileged kids and provide financial support for them to go to college. But if things change, you can find other ways to provide hope. It doesn’t hinge on your ability to mentor or the wealth of your connections.
To state it succinctly, your outcome is your calling, not the activity you use to get there.
