Goal of the day: 966 words. Written: 421.
Judging by some of the slogans in universities (and vedic seminars), it might seem that if you feel bad, all you need is a calling. Discover your calling and... Bac! Happiness.
But a vocation does not solve anything. Just as a need for a relationship is not solved by a one-night stand found on a speed-dating site.
1) Understand that there is NO life calling.
Zodiacs, stars, God's voices, professional and psychological tests (like the MBTI)... Someone should tell me what I ~~should~~~ be. Shouldn't it?
Not quite.
You are a ball of genes that once gained consciousness (around the first year of life). One sperm from Dad, one egg from Mum, nine months on Mum's 3D printer... And you get yourself. With your experiences, your adventures, your achievements, your history.
Chances are, there's no one else like you. And there won't be for billions of years to come.
And while this idea of exclusivity is fun, the stars, the general human public and your personal brain are deeply disappointed in what you do.
Well-whistle. Frankly, I don't care either. Do what you want.
2) The one thing you can really feel is PLEASURE.
Do you enjoy playing table football (yes, the kind where you have stands in bars)? Do you enjoy writing poetry? Fun to do accounting calculations? Or maybe serving customers in your parents' cosmetics shop?
Everything is fine with you.
Nobody, honestly, cares what you do. Except you.
And while you may question whether you really ~~~~love~~~ your activity, you can see whether you like it or not? Would you like to continue it or would you rather quit your job and find a new home? Stay or look for something else?
And you can enjoy your activities.
3) What you love - LOVES.
Once you dreamt of being a fireman, an accountant, a salesman, an astronaut or a doctor... What are you today? What do you do in your spare time and what fascinates you? Chances are that your dreams and passions have changed.
It is said that, on average, every 7 years, perceptions of oneself change and one gets bored with old jobs.
My mother used to be a pot-ring maker, and seven years later she became a kindergarten teacher. After another seven years, when she couldn't stand it (because she had enough for her two naughty boys, Daniel and Emilys), she started making handmade dolls. I believe your parents' and grandparents' lives changed in a similar way. Maybe yours too.
Your ~~~~~~~ is just a temporary infatuation. You may believe that God Himself has given your life a new meaning... But even priests sometimes get bored with their work and move on to another community, perhaps to another post.
What you love today is likely to be seen as boring in the future.
...What does this mean for you? Well, it means that it's better...
Don't look for a vocation. Don't. Don't look for the meaning of all life. Don't. You will forget it all and it will pass. And even your interest in vocation and meaning will pass. It will all be gone.
Better focus on what you are doing today. What are you creating? What nice things could you do?
...Patinginiauk!
For your own sake.
With love,
Daniel