Guest Blog: Unsure About your Career Potential? How to Surrender to Find your Calling
Julie’s note: Would you like to be a guest blogger? Check out my guidelines here.
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Whether you’re a recent college graduate or have been in the working world for years now, there comes a time for everyone when you need to evaluate the direction of your life and career. Just because you majored in a particular subject doesn’t mean you will find a job remotely related. It doesn’t even mean you truly want to work in that area. Likewise, just because you have twenty years of experience in a particular field doesn’t mean you are automatically guaranteed future job opportunities in a competitive job market. And, most importantly, simply holding down a job is nothing compared to the feeling of peace and joy that comes with finding a career that represents your true calling.
So, how do you figure out what you’re meant to do? We all have bills to pay, and there is really no time to waste. However, when it comes to figuring out your calling, there is nothing that should be given more priority. And the best way to figure it out is to do the opposite of everything we’ve been taught: you have to surrender.
Surrendering to your true potential means not chasing after career paths, but, rather, letting your career path develop in front of you. Here’s how:
Let go of false expectations.
The first step to surrendering to your true career path is to let go of all the expectations you have about what you’re supposed to be. This is easier said than done. Most of these mindsets have been within us our entire lives, so it can be difficult to even be aware of them. However, if you find yourself thinking about the steps you need to take to be more like the vision of yourself you see in your head, take a moment to think about the source of those self-expectations. Is it money? Social status? A goal pressed upon you by your parents? Take stock of the difference between expectations that feel like a weight on your shoulders and dreams that make you sparkle inside.
Follow your joy.
Seems easy enough, right? Wrong! With so many responsibilities and such an intense pressure to “do something” with our lives, the feeling of true joy can get a bit hazy. What you are looking for here is passion and release. What do you do where you lose yourself? What would you do every day if you didn’t have to worry about money? What do you think about (and possibly even deny to yourself) that makes you feel excited and alive? It is here that your real calling is waiting, so your first priority should be to open yourself up to these feelings and recognize them. Simply doing something you love every day is a good place to start.
Take the path of least resistance.
This definitely goes against everything we’ve been taught. In order to succeed, it seems like we have to fight to the death, when, in fact, success can sneak up on us when we simply let go and allow ourselves to be carried by our life purpose. When you are confronted with a career decision, follow the option that feels the best, not the one that will require the most “fight” in order to maintain.
By following these tips, you can get started in the direction of recognizing your true calling in life, and, rather than fighting against the tide to get there, you can allow it to come to you by working hard at the things you love.
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Katheryn Rivas, who writes for online universities blog. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katherynrivas87@gmail.com.
