Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on their environment and especially on their children than the unlived life of the parent.
-C.G. Jung
This begs the questions: “What parts of my life are unlived?” “Am I really living?”
Calling starts in the nature of the human self.
“True vocation joins self and service, as Fredrick Buchner asserts when he defines vocation as ‘the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.’ Buchner’s definition starts with the self and moves toward the needs of the world: it begins, wisely, where vocation begins — not in what the world needs (which is everything), but in the nature of the human self, in what brings the self joy, the deep joy of knowing that we are here on earth to be the gifts that God created.”
-Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the voice of vocation, p 17
Ready for the upcoming season?
When was the last time you stopped and took inventory? Checked in to consider your life?
For our family, the next couple of weeks will be a time of transition. Summer is ending and school is beginning. Which means -- it is a great time to stop and take inventory of our lives. How are we? What can we celebrate from our summer? What has the summer revealed about what might need to change? What do we need to be focusing on as schedules and energies shift?
The first tool in the LifePlan process is called The 4 Helpful Lists. It's a simple tool to gain perspective on life right now. Consider answering the following questions as you reflect on this transitional time:
What is right?
What is wrong?
What is confused?
What is missing?
If some thing is right, it ought to be optimized. If something is wrong, it needs to be changed. If something is confused, it needs to be clarified. And, if something is missing, it simply needs to be added. Allow these simple questions to help you sift through life and discern what next steps you may need to take.