VOCATION IS NECESSARY How do you find your vocation?

You have found your passion, but you have not managed to make a living from it? Keep trying, and try again until you succeed.

Success doesn't come easily, so quitting early, is a sure way to fail.

The main thing, remember that all of this will take a lot of hard work, but it will be the best investment you've ever made to help you succeed and enjoy a meaningful life.

Take the time to learn how to find your passion and you will find that your days are more fulfilling and produce more happiness and long-term wellbeing.

VOCATION IS NECESSARY

Finding your vocation is the key to a meaningful life because it answers two timeless questions:

Who am I? Why am I here?

You see, when you understand your identity and your purpose, life takes on meaning. It is your personal vocation, the bridge between, your identity and purpose.

How do you find your vocation? Here are a few points to guide your journey.

1. Your vocation is what you are, not what you do: we start here, because nothing else matters if you miss this point. Your job or career is not something you’re calling. For some, this news is a disappointment. For many, however, this news is liberating. You have to constantly remember that a job or a career does not define you.

2. A vocation is to do things in their totality: whether working as an engineer, raising a family, pastoring a church, being a politician or writing, this theme is consistent. Once you discover your calling, you let go of this naïve notion of only one way in your life. Your vocation determines your path, not the other way around.

3. Your vocation leaves you with an aftertaste of being unqualified or outdated: your vocation will not be the easiest. Many people miss their calling because they believe that a meaningful life is easy. The two great partners of well-being, comfort and safety tell many lies. Anything worthwhile requires sacrifice.

When you review the most meaningful endeavors of your life, work, marriage, family, and situations in your social life come to mind. All those wounds inflicted weigh on you, demanding a lot of time and energy.

Therefore, these experiences make you a better person, more sensitive and compassionate, less prideful, and self-centered. You can have an easy life or a meaningful life, but you can't have both.

4. A vocation always advances the world and contributes to the common good: your vocation will do the same. Success and accomplishments are not indicators of a vocation. It is possible to be on top of the mountain with an empty heart. Most of the time you find your calling in the valley, in those spaces where the spotlight does not shine, in those areas where hope, beauty and justice are most needed.

5. A vocation involves a community: because your vocation always involves both receiving and giving. You can only love your neighbor if you love yourself. And you can't really love yourself unless you love your neighbor.

Your vocation will inspire others, fill people with hope, or free others from the chains of injustice. In other words, your calling is never about you.

In a nutshell, a vocation is a person's response to a call beyond themselves to use their strengths and gifts to make the world a better place through service, creativity, and leadership. A call beyond oneself. To speak of a « vocation » or a « calling » is to suggest that your life is a response to something that is beyond you.

Don't forget Mark Twain and make your vacation your vocation. This is the secret of success.

Recommended reading and references

We suggest that you consult the works identified below in order to learn more about the particularities contained in this chapter.

CHURCHILL, Randolph S. WINSTON S. CHURCHILL: Young Statesman 1901-1914. Houghton, Mifflin co. 1967.

FILLIOZAT, Isabelle. L’INTELLIGENCE DU CŒUR : Confiance en soi, créativité, aisance relationnelle, autonomie. Marabout. 40-2625-8.

HUSTON, John. 50 FAÇONS DE CHANGER VOTRE VIE. Amerimag. ISBN 0-65385-575451-1.

KEEGAN, John. L’ART DU COMMANDEMENT; Alexandre, Wellington, Grant, Hitler. Editions Perrin. ISBN 2-262-00615-6.

LINOWES, F. DAVID. STRATEGIES FOR SURVIVAL: Using Business Know-how to Make our Social System Work. AMACOM: American Management Association. ISBN 0-8144-5326-0.

PETERS, Thomas J. THRIVING ON CHAOS/ A PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE. Random House. ISBN 0-517-14816-1.

ROBINS, Stephen. PRENEZ LA BONNE DÉCISION. Pearson Éducation France. ISBN 2-7440-6067-4.

TRUMP, Donald J. THINK BIG AND KICK ASS. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-06-154783-6.

D’ADAMO, Peter Dr. LIVE RIGHT FOR YOUR TYPE. Putman Publisher. ISBN 0-399-14673-3.

MYERS, Marc. HOW TO MAKE LUCK: 7 Secrets Lucky People Use to Succeed. Renaissance Books. ISBN 1-58063-058-8.

PATTON, Arch. MEN, MONEY AND MOTIVATION. McGraw-Hill, New York, Library of Congress Catalog card number: 61-7845.

POTTER, E.B. NIMITZ. Naval Institute Press. 1976

ROBBINS, Anthony. UNLIMITED POWER. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-62146-7.

THE NEW YORK TIMES. GUIDE TO ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE. St-Martin’s Press. ISBN 0-312-31367-5.

TRACY, Brian. CHANGE YOUR THINKING, CHANGE YOUR LIFE. How to Unlock Your Full Potential for Success and Achievement. Willey & sons. ISBN 0-471-73538-8.

STANLEY, E. PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR DUMMIES. Portny. ISBN:0-7645-5283-X

TOUS PSYCHOLOGUES. Les grandes idées tout simplement. ERPI books. ISBN : 978-2-7613-4873-7

TOUS PHILOSOPHES. Les grandes idées tout simplement. ERPI books. ISBN : 978-2-7613-4125-7