“People of genius do not excel in any profession because they work in it, they work in it because they exel.” Such a large part of our lives is figuring out what to do with our lives. There are so many options; often times people are lost as to where to go. In our society, many of the decisions we make are made with money in mind. People will do almost anything for money, even if that means being unhappy. This class, and my SI education in general has framed for me a new way of living. That is, living happily. This does not mean that the work/job I perform is not hard. Instead, it means, that I must find something that I enjoy doing, and find a career based around my interest. This concept is essentially vocation. Mick McCarthy,
For Spohn, seeking a vocation is ever changing and similar to St. Ignatius’ own quest - our path is laid out not with a “road map” but with a “compass”. In other words, one’s chosen vocation in life provides guidance in a general format, but does not necessarily provide an exact path in life. Spohn speaks of vocation in terms of a life long pursuit of “what I am called to become” and finding inner talents and using those talents to make a better world. Himes uses similar vocabulary as McCarthy and Spohn. Talent, joy, desire, attraction, restlessness (as a good thing) and need are all part of his conversation about vocation. Himes for me, however, provided a more tangible and practical approach in determining ones vocation, a process that one can use not only initially, but throughout ones life. He poses three questions to those seeking their vocation:
What gives you joy?
What are you really good at?
What do the people around you really need? In the first question, ones joy is front and center in compelling us in doing what we do. Joy “is much deeper and much more central” than happiness, “it comes from within and it is a genuine rightness of how one lives one’s life.” It is a state which enables us to actively use our talents in the knowledge we are doing “right”. The second question invites us to determine what we are most comfortable and natural at doing. And the third question ask us