It can take some time for you to discover yourself.

I commute by LRT to my workplace five days a week. I meet people everywhere, jostling to catch the train to reach their destination for the day’s work. Imagine spending almost half your life working an average of 40 hours a week to earn a living to provide sustenance to yourself and family. Have you ever felt your working life is stifled at some point and you are confined to the routines? At times, you sense a small voice calling you toward something unknown and risky, yet more congruent with your own truth.

Have you ever embarked on a journey of self-discovery? So many of us listen to what others tell us to do when we were growing up. Be a doctor. Law is good. Or why don’t you be an engineer. Such recommendations are given with all good intentions because these vocations are respected and pay well. We may compromise and even grow to accept it and thrive to make a living out of it. But deep inside, if you do not have the passion for the work, there would seem to be a hollow feeling of unfulfilled dreams and aspirations.

A famous quote ‘Let Your Life Speak’ holds such profound meaning to me because it’s important to know that I am living my life as I am meant to be in my lifetime. Anything which falls out of this purpose just isn’t good enough.

Are you a fresh graduate or someone looking for another challenging vocation?
As I look at the word ‘vocation’ which is rooted from Latin word ‘vocatio’ meaning ‘voice’, I see why we have to look inward to discover our gifts, talents, and feelings to find our true calling in life. From this discovery, we are ready to build our life foundation based on our beliefs, passion and gifts to work our best. One of my favourite collections of quotable quotes is from Sir Wilfred Grenfell - ‘Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, but from doing something worthwhile.’

Vocation is not something out for us to try to fit in. It doesn’t come with willfulness. It comes with listening. I believe one must learn to listen to the ‘voice inside’ you to appreciate what your life wants to do with you before you tell your life what you want to do with it. Unfortunately, this discovery of your true self may be more challenging and scary than attempting to become someone else. I have to confess that so many times, I responded to this discovery with doubt, and finding myself ignoring it or fleeing from it and I don’t think I am alone.

How do we learn to re-discover ourselves?
We can learn about our true self through our actions, reactions, intuitions, instincts and gut feelings. If we can take time to be still, listen and learn to read the cues, the inner voice will tell us about our true self - our strength and weaknesses as well. Capitalise on your strength to venture into vocations which suit your personality and passion in life and work on improving your weaknesses.

Childhood memories. I feel that we have to embrace any opportunity for us to back track to our childhood times in order to discover our vocation when we were young and innocent. I like to draw and I discover that my true self lies not so much that I end up being an artist (which I am not), but perhaps one day, engaging in a vocation which incorporates art therapy. That is a far shot from what I am doing right now but as I am preaching about living an authentic life, I believe that it will be achievable someday.

Our highest calling in life is to grow into our authentic selfhood whether or not it conforms to the image of what other people think we ought to be. We will be able to experience the joy and authentic service to our country. When we are in the right vocation, we will not feel the pain when challenges come our way, because when we are being challenged for doing the right job well, your being feels fulfilled. Your goal in life is purposeful. You are no longer living another person’s aspiration but your own.

So, are you living your life?