No One Else Can Do It For You (It's Spiritual II)
More Thoughts on Purpose (07)
HI FRIENDS
It’s like eating. People can show you what to eat, how to eat and even where to eat, but they cannot do it for you.
And as with most things in life that run deep, no one else can find your calling for you.
Sure, others can help you on your way. They can teach you things about yourself, give you examples and guideposts on the way, maybe even offer experience of finding a fulfilling life. But, when it comes down to it, no one else can actually discover your calling for you.
Because only you can know your motivations.
Only you can follow your inclinations.
Only you can get in touch with your ambitions.
You have to see it for yourself.
It doesn’t matter how much insight others may have into your deepest soul and spirit, even if they could point you toward your true vocation, it won’t mean anything to you until you put it into practice. It will be mere information, lying dormant until you put it to the test.
In this way, the journey of finding our vocation is a spiritual one.
It’s a journey that you have to participate in yourself, you can only get so far by relying on what information others can give you. And the degree to which it remains an intellectual exercise that doesn’t transform you is the degree to which it will feel empty and useless.
Ultimately, it’s helpful to know that we cannot outsource this work to others. It is a unique and personal journey—an invitation that waits for us, calls to us, until we are ready or until our time runs out.
So, are you ready?
Godspeed,
T Mo.
STILLNESS IS THE KEY
BY RYAN HOLIDAY
Not strictly on topic, but there were some wide-reaching points made in this book that touch on what it means to find a life of purpose.
One of the main points made is that we should aim to build a life that we don’t need to escape from. Often, a sense of restlessness manifests in us as a sign that something needs to change and running away is not the right answer.
Ryan also speaks more broadly about how trying to achieve everything leaves us feeling frenetic. Instead, we can go a mile deep on what matters rather than an inch on too many things.
MY TAKEAWAY
I decided that I could give myself a permission slip from those I serve to not be engaged in extraneous events. Those who I mentor don’t care if I have seen their Netflix shows.
NEWS & LINKS
Deliciously Ella - Blogging Saved My Life
I found hearing Ella’s story very powerful. She says quite directly that part of what made her mental health/health problems worse was a lack of purpose. She had nothing to do for herself and became depressed watching everyone else’s life go by without her.
Coming up
Next week I hope to begin an ongoing practice of sharing and reviewing some of the practical exercises that I’ve been discovering in my research on this topic. My aim is for this newsletter to be a practical help for those of you who are already on the journey of finding and following your calling, and hopefully you will be able to try these out along with me.