Heeding the Call

Do you believe you were born to do more (and better) than what you’re doing now?

I know I’ve felt this way.

Looking back on my journey of becoming, it feels like a winding search through the wilderness of institutional education and occupation, searching for real meaning and identity—a pursuit of vocation.

What is vocation?

Vocation comes from the Latin verb vocare, which means “to call.” The question then arises, if vocation is a calling, where does it come from?

I spent my early working life looking for my vocation externally. I thought being a school teacher would give my life purpose. This pursuit resulted in landing teaching gigs at famous prep schools.

Despite this, the experience left me frustrated and unfulfilled.

I tried a lot of other jobs (managing restaurants, cafe operator, wine consultant, and more) and got similar results. I didn’t find any meaning in management, status, or instructing. Every day in these jobs felt like the previous—a soul-sucking exercise in getting by and getting along.

After my first son was born, a wee small inner voice began whispering a dream about becoming a professional musician. I started doing it on the side. It quickly became a full-time endeavor.

Playing and teaching guitar for a living was challenging, for sure. It also was the first identity that felt comfortable to me. It provided a filter for making sense of the world. Every day wasn’t the same as the day before. Every moment felt pregnant with opportunity and significance.

Despite a long, happy, and successful career playing for a living, I found myself again nudged by that wee small voice to explore “what’s next.” The problem was, I wasn’t sure what that was.

At the urging of my wife and sons, I enrolled in Seth Godin’s altMBA—a rigorous 30-day program in leveling up through challenging prompts and group work. I entered the altMBA, curious to know if I could be and do more and better as a difference-maker. By the end of the session, the answer was a clear and resounding “yes.”

I was then hired as a coach in the Akimbo Workshops. This role paved the way for my next path—writer, coach, and Chief Difference-Maker for my brand, Creative on Purpose.

Now my life is enhanced by helping others find and refine their calling. Working with people who share my values and need my talents to discover their calling allows me to live my legacy daily.

So, does vocation come from the inside out or the outside in? For me, the only correct answer is “Yes.” It’s a “both-and” proposition.

I’m not sure that vocation is work you’re born to do. I wonder if there’s only the work you’re meant to do now? Every one of us has the potential to serve and excel in many capacities.

I recently collided with a Quaker maxim about vocation, “Let your life speak.” I love the elegant simplicity and provocative power of this simple statement.

Whether your calling comes from within or without, you’ll miss it if you’re not paying attention and trust yourself enough to try and find your way.

Your life is speaking to and through you right now. What is it telling you? What is it asking of you? Are you listening? Are you ready to heed the call?