Questions to Answer Your Calling

I'll be honest... this post is as much for me as it is for you.

Every so often I revisit my "call." This is a good practice because life changes us. I'm a different person than I was at 15, than I was at 20, than I was at 25 (and thank GOD for all that!). I've grown through experience. Lessons have stretched my expectations and understanding of life. It follows that my calling would change as well.

So in order to make sure I'm still on the straight and narrow, I revisit that dreaded period of questioning. Sometimes it comes as a necessary thing - as it has this summer (not just for me, but also my husband). When a crisis rips your life apart, it forces you to sit down and reexamine what you're doing and where you need to go in the future. A crisis could be anything from a tornado decimating your house, to bankruptcy, to cancer, to a loss of faith, to a cheating spouse, to a beloved friend passing. It could also be much less or much more (I think a combination of events would qualify as more in my book). Whatever you feel is a crisis that forces you to wonder if you're off your personal path is enough.

Other times, you're living the high life. Things seem to be going fairly well, so questioning your calling feels more optional. This is sort of a trick. Questioning your calling in this situation is more like reaffirming it. Of course, some people choose to pursue paths that have nothing to do with their purpose in life and they find out when they start answering questions they are actually quite unhappy with their lot in life.

Yes...this is not an easy thing to do. It is dangerous. It could send you down a route you don't wish to go. It could upend your life.

Blah blah blah.

Get over it.

It's good for you. I promise.

Once you've determined you need to reexamine your calling, you need to figure out how deep you need to go. You can ask extremely trying questions that get at the root of your soul purpose (a good idea if you've never gone through this process before). These are things like, "Why am I here? What am I here to experience?" etc. If you choose to go this route, I really recommend working through a book like The Success Principles that gives you tools to figure these things out, as opposed to just winging it. Still, if sitting on a mountain top drinking tea is how you reach revelation, go for it.

The other option is to ask more grounded and practical questions that have more specific answers (and lead to a very specific/practical direction):

• What do you feel passionate about? 
• What have you done in the past that brought you joy? 
• What would you do without any pay or a cut in pay? 
• What are your talents? your skills? 
• How could you combine these things?

There are plenty of websites and books that have more/different questions along these veins, but the gist is the same. They are directive and prescriptive. If you already know your life purpose (see earlier question option) then answering these direct questions is a good idea to help you determine the best new direction for you.

I recommend this because it will be easy to break your new direction into steps or mini-goals. It will be easy to see progress and to feel like you're actually going somewhere. Necessarily if you start down any new path in such a way, you will become more impressively awesome. It is literally unavoidable. Nothing is more cool than someone who knows where they're going and what they're doing (and why!).

If you've gone through this process before, how did it help you (or did it?)? Leave a comment below!