“How did you find your life’s work?” Career counseling clients are often interested in my story. I tell them the truth: “I had a calling to help others and specifically to do so through educating and counseling.”
I used to give less authentic answers, particularly at cocktail parties where I would interact with business types who were interested in the “entrepreneur” part of my decision to leave the high powered legal world to become an education-entrepreneur. With my generation of men, talking about one’s “calling” was looked at with skeptical disdain. Now, I don’t care because I realize that I have to be authentic to live out that calling.
I still don’t like my answer because the single sentence: “I had a calling…” shows the tip of an iceberg, revealing only the “a-ha moment!”, as if a lightning bolt created an epiphany. The long foundation of figuring out my calling stemmed from a lot of reading, reflecting and soul-searching.
I also know that my career counseling work has helped hundreds of clients work in their calling.
I am meant to be an educator-counselor. That’s my calling. What’s yours?