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Vocation

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Submitted By smolke
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“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, William Spohn, and Michael Himes examine the term vocation. Each author presents a slightly different perspective on this term: McCarthy’s is a personal view; Spohn has a more spiritual view; Himes outlines more of a practical guide for one seeking their vocation. Despite their different attempts of explaining vocation, all authors agree in something. All strongly suggest that a vocation is more than a job or a career choice. All show that pursuing a vocation requires a deeper calculation and an examination of ones motivation and choice. That is, a higher level of discernment than selecting a job must be part of a vocational choice. Another similarity is that all the articles describe a kind of restlessness as part of the process in discovering ones vocation. And importantly, all show the importance of input and scrutiny from others. McCarthy in "The Discovery of Vocation" describes a personal journey of his vocation as a Jesuit academic. For him, his vocation was not a “grand plan” or a conscious decision. It is as if his vocation unfolded in ways that could not have been known in the beginning of his journey. He even admits that the

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