“Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic self-hood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be. As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human seeks – we will also find our path of authentic service to the world.” ~Parker Palmer
I grew up in Washington State in a small town of about 1000 people. When I was younger, one could generally find me either reading a book or playing basketball. Now, many years later, I can still frequently be found with my nose in a book, but age and two knee surgeries have made basketball a spectator sport for me. As a result, I am now more likely to get exercise by walking or hiking in this gorgeous place we call the Northwest. Though I miss the competition and action of basketball, I have learned to slow down and appreciate the beauty and calming influence of nature and the world around me.
After I finished high school, I left my small town to attend George Fox University, where my undergraduate education yielded a bachelor’s degree in business. Over the next 20 years, that degree led me to various employment experiences including a grocery store, a hotel, and, for the majority of my business career, a national automotive parts distributor. These varied settings provided excellent opportunities to learn about personnel management, marketing, finance, customer service, negotiation, product management, and the bottom line. But most importantly, I learned about me. I learned that, while I could do those things fairly well, I didn’t find any of them to be particularly interesting or rewarding. Instead, I found I was interested in and passionate about people and “what makes them tick.” I enjoyed developing the interests and abilities of my employees and understanding their challenges and strengths. I enjoyed learning about them and my peers outside of work, as relationships revealed their multi-faceted characteristics and personalities. Ultimately I learned that, though my interests were helpful in business, they were not necessarily being used for my “deepest calling.” So I made a change.
That change, a leap of faith at 40 years old, involved leaving my stable job and returning to college to spend six years earning my doctorate of clinical psychology. The quote at the beginning by Parker Palmer was given to me by a friend at the beginning of graduate school, and it has held significance for me ever since. In my business career, I always felt like I was made for something else and I just hadn’t discovered it yet. Now I know I am in the right place doing the work to which I was called. I enjoy it, both the rewards and the challenges. Most of all, I am grateful for a job that allows me to help others find fullness, meaning and purpose.