Parker J Palmer, Author of Let Your LIfe Speak, had been on the fast track for success. He had graduated at the top of his class, went to a good college and was on track for a tenured position at Georgetown University when he suddenly realized- he didn’t really want to do that. He started changing careers, first one thing then another, none of them lasting that long or feeling like the right thing for him. He then started feeling like a failure; he had graduated college with the brightest of futures in front of him and now here he was living a very ordinary life and not making much progress towards anything since he didn’t know what he wanted.
Eventually he finds himself led to a Quaker retreat home, a place to seek God’s will and try to hear His voice. During his time there he is offered a job as president of a college. He is ready to take the job but he decided to discuss this offer with a group of Quakers that he has grown close to. One of his friends asks him what he would like about the job. Parker starts listing the things he wouldn’t like- having to speak on behalf of the college to the media, all the obligatory events he would have to go to, etc. His friend gently breaks in and reminds Parker that he was supposed to be listing the things he would like about the job. Parker then has to admit, both to himself and his friends, that in fact, the thing he likes most about the job is the title and the paycheck. It then becomes clear that this is not what Parker should do.
This moment serves as a pivotal point in which Parker realizes he needs to consider what is most important to him in a job. He realizes that he needs to look at what he’s always liked to do, and how he can utilize that in a career. He thought he wanted to teach because he loves books, learning and sharing information. What he ends up realizing is that through writing and activism he can use those same gifts and abilities.
Parker then looks back over his life and realizes that there were small arrows from the time he was a small boy on pointing him in this direction. He focused on where he could easily apply his gifts to make a good living. In the end however this left him feeling empty and purposeless. He then had to go back and look for all the little clues from his life. He had to let his life speak about finding his vocation.
There are many ways to use our gifts. So often we focus on either the way in which our gifts could be used most lucratively, or the most common way in which people with our gifts typically use them- even if there is another field in which our gifts can be used that we are more passionate about. We worry that taking the way less traveled will lead to failure. I think it is worth pointing out that people are generally most successful when they focus their life work on areas that they are passionate about. I believe we let the fear of it being hard to make a living at a specific vocation scare us away from trying it. But what is going to be harder- spending your days going to a job that you don’t like and have to force yourself to go to each day; or making a living from an area where it can be challenging, but in which you are so passionate that you wake up each day excited to get to work? And let us not forget that the top tier in any field can be financially successful. If you are truly passionate and driven in your chosen field I believe you will eventually succeed- although it may get very hard and take longer than you wish. Avoiding one’s greatest passions will never lead to a fulfilled life. It is rather the dedication day after day in an area in which we are truly passionate that will lead us to the most fulfilled life, and allow us to make the impact that we were put on this earth to make.
I challenge you to look at your life, what are the clues pointing you to a certain path? In what ways has your life “spoken” to you? What have you always loved? How did you spend your free time as a child? When you are free of obligations what do you find yourself doing or wanting to do? We have one life on this earth and in the words of Mary Oliver, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Listen and let your life speak to you.
Quick reminder that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you- it’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!
Take a look at the Book Nook for other interesting reads!