The Prelude to Middlemarch is haunting on this topic—how many would-be St Theresas are out there, yearning & seeking but never having found the one thing that sets their hearts on fire?
This is so insightful and just brilliant (and gives me hope) and a lot to think about. I love how you separate calling from success from motivation from goals. I think we tend to conflate at lot of those in different ways. I’m sharing this with my friends. Thank you.
Do you think callings make sense only if you have a framework for meaning? And that for some, especially in the absence of God, that can only come when they’re a lot older? As @robertwalrod mentions, ‘calling’ has a religious connection, such as Paul on the road to Damascus. Your quote suggests that Bryan J. Dik and Ryan D. Duffy have replaced God with “the common good.” I wonder, do you think late bloomers somehow come to a personal understanding of meaning, but maybe the type of meaning they reconcile themselves to meant that could only come later, almost as a form of resignation? Audrey Sutherland, for example, did all her stuff solo, but wrote about it; perhaps meaning for her came from writing and hoping to inspire others as she reconciled herself to coping with the limitations of old age. I almost get the feeling from what you’ve said on Fitzgerald that she just got to the point where she was like, ‘sod it I need the money, why not this?’, perhaps a form of meaning that is only possible when you get a bit older?!
He presents it all in a much more matter-of-fact, left-brained manner, but this reminds me of Cal Newport’s “So Good They Can’t Ignore You,” wherein he argues that “follow your passion” is stupid advice. A successful and fulfilling career is built out of having rare and valuable skills. It’s much more sensible to follow your aptitude and a vision for what kind of lifestyle you want to live when making decisions about career/vocation. If you want to write but you’re not remarkably good at it, pursue a career that will provide for your material needs while also giving you time to write.
I'm curious -- are there any examples of people whose callings really did arrive like revelations, who had experiences like Paul on the road to Damascus?
A great piece that I can identify with wholeheartedly. I've been interested in writing for decades, but it was a slow train coming. After many jobs across multiple career fields (including military/gov't civilian) and 55 years in the workforce, I finally fulfilled my calling when I retired last year. Now I write 2 Substacks which focus on personal transformation (through essays and stories), primarily in mid-life, but really at every stage. I have seen Second Act, but I think I will purchase it now as a resource for my writing. Thanks for this essay and book review.
The Prelude to Middlemarch is haunting on this topic—how many would-be St Theresas are out there, yearning & seeking but never having found the one thing that sets their hearts on fire?
This is so insightful and just brilliant (and gives me hope) and a lot to think about. I love how you separate calling from success from motivation from goals. I think we tend to conflate at lot of those in different ways. I’m sharing this with my friends. Thank you.
Do you think callings make sense only if you have a framework for meaning? And that for some, especially in the absence of God, that can only come when they’re a lot older? As @robertwalrod mentions, ‘calling’ has a religious connection, such as Paul on the road to Damascus. Your quote suggests that Bryan J. Dik and Ryan D. Duffy have replaced God with “the common good.” I wonder, do you think late bloomers somehow come to a personal understanding of meaning, but maybe the type of meaning they reconcile themselves to meant that could only come later, almost as a form of resignation? Audrey Sutherland, for example, did all her stuff solo, but wrote about it; perhaps meaning for her came from writing and hoping to inspire others as she reconciled herself to coping with the limitations of old age. I almost get the feeling from what you’ve said on Fitzgerald that she just got to the point where she was like, ‘sod it I need the money, why not this?’, perhaps a form of meaning that is only possible when you get a bit older?!
I really look forward to reading Second Act. Bravo
He presents it all in a much more matter-of-fact, left-brained manner, but this reminds me of Cal Newport’s “So Good They Can’t Ignore You,” wherein he argues that “follow your passion” is stupid advice. A successful and fulfilling career is built out of having rare and valuable skills. It’s much more sensible to follow your aptitude and a vision for what kind of lifestyle you want to live when making decisions about career/vocation. If you want to write but you’re not remarkably good at it, pursue a career that will provide for your material needs while also giving you time to write.
I'm curious -- are there any examples of people whose callings really did arrive like revelations, who had experiences like Paul on the road to Damascus?
A great piece that I can identify with wholeheartedly. I've been interested in writing for decades, but it was a slow train coming. After many jobs across multiple career fields (including military/gov't civilian) and 55 years in the workforce, I finally fulfilled my calling when I retired last year. Now I write 2 Substacks which focus on personal transformation (through essays and stories), primarily in mid-life, but really at every stage. I have seen Second Act, but I think I will purchase it now as a resource for my writing. Thanks for this essay and book review.