Your Second Calling

… So the graduations hang on the wall…But they never really helped us at all…
~Billy Joel, Allentown

Those iconic words by Billy Joel were intended for a far different audience, but have always led me to wonder about their inherent truth. Every so often, I read articles rating how much “X Degree” is really worth and how much a particular school’s graduates earn immediately upon graduation. School is certainly not cheap, and the costs go far beyond the bank to include the opportunity costs of time, mental and physical energy, stress and anxiety.

And, today, it’s not enough to have a College degree – even Masters degrees and PhDs can be trumped by the latest and greatest professional certification (the likes of which are very familiar to me). Children, pre-teens even, worry about their scores on national exams and which college they will eventually get into. Whether you have hailed from the Ivy League, have a steady job, are in the middle of a life transition, or have just been “downsized” due to the current economic climate and find yourself back in career-seeking mode, I have not met anyone recently who is immune to reflecting on their past paths and accomplishments and simply wondering what’s next. We’re all coming to terms with the seemingly unstable nature of the world around us and not knowing what we’re worth anymore or where our skills may fit in the changing landscape in which we live.

So where is the line drawn between focusing on success and following a directed path there… or having success result naturally from doing what you’re supposed to be doing?

These thoughts need not propel you into a life crisis; in fact, they can signal an opportunity. A grand opportunity to regain control, instead of blindly following a path which was clearly mapped out but is no longer relevant to you nor for you. Everyone of us brings value and purpose – to both tasks and people. The real work begins when we embark on discovering where to direct that value and in what direction we’re actually being called…

We do not have the luxury of simply sitting back, sipping tea and engaging in quiet contemplation of our heart’s deepest desires 24/7– not when there are mortgage payments to be made and mouths to feed and educate. But we do have the internal responsibility –to ourselves, if not to the rest of the world – to decide where our passions lie and where we expend our energies. It’s certainly not always black and white, either.

I titled this blog “Your Second Calling” because I am convinced we will all be invited to define one at some point – when our first set of life choices ends or screams out for change; if we are lucky, and we missed the first boat – this would be the opportunity to recalibrate. We neither have to accelerate into fifth gear and refinance our assets to get that MBA, nor do we have to resign ourselves and accept that our current job/position/career is where we will always remain. So, where’s the middle ground?

It seems as though every day, lately, I am asking myself :

• What are you good at? What would you like to be better at, and where are there opportunities to learn?
• Do I really need that second or third degree and am I willing to pay the financial and mental costs to obtain it, or am I better off improving upon what I already possess?
• Conversely, will taking the risk and making time to go back to school assist me in redesigning my life and redefining my strengths and contributions?

As humans, we evolve though we do not always like to recognize nor embrace the changes taking place within us. By slowing down, quieting the noise around us, and soliciting external input – we can linger long enough to allow our minds (and hearts) to engage in isolated identification of our strengths and deliberate decision-making about what our next steps will be.

If I have learned nothing else, it is that your second calling will shout more loudly than any other voice and, this time, it will be the voice of your heart. ~ N

Whether you lead a very successful life in the eyes of the world, or are struggling to find your place – try making it a priority to not only do what you have to, but also find what you’re supposed to do – so, then, the path becomes more of a journey and less of a struggle.

Are you in search of your second calling? Have you found it?

Wishing You Success,
Natalya