As I was reading Jeffery A. Thompson’s article “What Is Your Calling in Life?” I got to a spot that turned on a light bulb in my head. He said:

“…finding your calling in life may not be a matter of finding the one right job. Instead, it may be that your calling is to bring your unique spiritual gifts to whatever position the Lord blesses you with.”

One of the things I’ve struggled with over the years as I’ve tried to find my “calling” is that the skills and spiritual gifts I’ve been blessed with aren’t … marketable. I can’t think of another word to use there. Maybe it will come as I continue.

One of the skills I’ve been blessed with, is the ability to understand the feelings of others. While that comes in handy at home and when dealing with coworkers, it’s not something that I could start a business with (unless I took decades of school classes and potentially earned a degree in psychology, which doesn’t interest me at all).

Thompson actually summed me up pretty nicely in the paragraph right before the one containing the quote above.

“Other types of gifts that you may notice in yourself include the ability to praise others effectively, to identify and encourage others’ talents, to organize information in a concise manner…”

Those are the things I’m good at, the things I truly enjoy. How do I make those things work for me in a way in which I can still help to support my family?

His next paragraph summarizes how I used to feel at the job I currently have. I know God’s hand was in how I got to where I am. It’s a long story, but suffice it to say that, without personally appearing to me and walking me into the office for an interview, God showed me the path to where I am.

That was five years ago. I’m now feeling like it’s time for a change, but I can’t tell if it’s a change in venue or a change in attitude. I can’t tell if it’s a change in responsibility or a change in location. Or if it’s a change within me that has stunted my abilities to continue to expand my gifts.

Perhaps, as he suggests, if I “exercise faith in the Lord, follow His spirit, and seek to amplify [my] gifts” I will be able to discern the change I feel and figure out the direction I’m intended to go.

I enjoyed watching this video because of how personable Mr. Thompson was. A few of my take-aways…

Work to live. Don’t live to work.

Set limits for yourself. Don’t make your work life your whole life, no matter how exciting it might be. Nobody can do that and sustain that lifestyle forever.

Business is fun. Make it fun. Be confident in yourself. Business is not life, it’s just a part of it. Our families, our relationships and our faith are what really matter. Those should be our priorities and the limits we set for ourselves should reflect those things as our priorities.

“It’s not about how smart you are…”

It’s about your ability to push through. Always listen to the Spirit. He can and will help you gain the confidence you need to push through the hard times. Do the right thing. It will pay in the end.

“It’s all about the people you work with.”

Always work WITH people. They may work for you, but if you treat them like they work with you, you’ll have happier employees. Happier employees help create successful companies.

To hear it it Mr. Thompson’s words, click here.