What's Your Calling?

You Are Gifted
The journey was bumpy and sometimes scary, but it was always a predestined trip. God plants gifts in us and provides opportunities for us to fulfill our purposes. He sets each of us on a path to our calling. We often make ourselves busy because we are searching for that calling. But it isn’t until we slow down that we can see what it really is.

As we "start breaking busy" in our lives, our gifts and passions will shine and our purpose will become clear. God buried treasures inside each of us. What we do with those gifts is up to us.

Identify Your Passions
If not for dipping my toes into blogging, I wouldn’t have discovered many of my passions. But the process of sharing my life online changed me. I tried new things like public speaking and business consulting — things far outside my comfort zone. Some things worked and some did not, but I found clarity. Finding your calling is always a process and always involves lots of experimentation.

Sometimes, identifying your passions can be difficult. It’s okay to admit that we don’t always know the answers. Here are some questions you can use to identify your calling.

What have you loved since childhood?
People always told me that I had an inexhaustible desire to learn and share my discoveries as a little girl. I was the kid who read encyclopedias! Sharing good information is still my passion, and I’m still learning every day. Only now, instead of being a girl with an insatiable desire to inform others in-person, I’m doing it here, online, and on TV.

What tugs at your heart?
What problem cries out for you to fix? For me, as soon as I started blogging and meeting others online, I wanted to build them up. I wanted to help women see their God-given potential and abilities. Sometimes, I did that by hosting a certain speaker at an event. Sometimes, I wrote articles that shared recommendations for products or books. I couldn’t wait to share whatever I found helpful.

What would you do for free?
I often joke that if we won the lottery and never had to work again, I’d still be yelling at people, “Go! Find your God-given destiny!” For me, the experience of building a business showed me that anyone can do it. At that time, my family’s desperate situation kept me going, even though my fears whispered: “You don’t know what you’re doing. You’re not good enough. You’re wasting your time.” All you need is the willingness to uncover and invest in the gifts God has given you.

What energizes you?
Look around at everything you do — marriage, parenting, work, volunteering, being a great neighbor. Ask yourself, “What energizes me?”

A woman I met at a conference once told me she was only good at bossing people around. She said, “I’m not just good at it; it energizes me.” She was once a driven business executive, but, after years of being a mom, she was now an emptynester. She was bored and floundering with her new life. I suggested that she could become a small business consultant, since she had the credentials for it. She emailed me several months later and told me she was “killing it” as a consultant.

What is something everyone says you’re good at?
Sometimes, you can’t see your own gifts, but everyone else can. My friend Lori believed she had nothing to offer the world. She never believed she had a marketable talent (despite the fact that her friends told her she was a great listener and gave wise advice). Then, at age 53, she decided to pursue something she felt passionate about. She became a certified life coach, and she has found it incredibly fulfilling. Lori was stunned to realize her friends had been right all along.

You Always Have a Purpose
These questions are not just about finding your career. In my case, my passions became my career, but we are not limited to that. Our gifts are about more than what we do for a living! You don’t need a job to fulfill your purpose. Whatever your age or season in life, new adventures await you. Your life may still be busy — but instead of breaking you, your busyness will bless you. And, it will bless the world God sent you to serve. c
Photo: GongTo/shutterstock.com

 

Living with Purpose

Living with Purpose

When Alli Worthington found herself empty (despite a full life around her), she knew something needed to change. In Breaking Busy, she shares what she’s learned about becoming busy with a purpose, while balancing life’s demands.

Learn more



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