Passion or Calling?
As we live, are we driven more by passion or by a ‘calling?’ This question arose in a conversation with several friends recently and I decided to explore it because I think the answer may help open a path to meaning and purpose as we grow older.
My years accumulate like well-worn pages in a book, and I often find myself pausing to reflect on the many chapters of my life.
The passions that once drove me – a career, hobbies, and even family – have shifted or faded.
Yet in their place, I sense a quieter, more persistent call. Is this the whisper of wisdom that comes with age, or something more profound?
Like the first sip of morning coffee (or Pepsi…I hate coffee!) passion awakens our senses, while a calling stirs the very depths of our soul.
But are they one and the same?
As we journey through life, we often find ourselves grappling with these twin forces that shape our paths and purpose.
I remember as a child, my passion for chocolate chip cookies – a sweet reward for a job well done. But as I’ve grown, I’ve come to recognize a deeper hunger, one that goes beyond mere passion and touches on something more profound.
This is where we begin to explore the realm of calling.
Defining Passion
Passion is the spark that ignites our hearts, much like the aroma of freshly baked cookies wafting through the house. It’s the enthusiasm that propels us forward, the drive that keeps us up late at night, lost in the flow of what we love.
But passion, like the sugar rush from those childhood treats, can be fleeting. It’s intense, yes, but not always enduring. How many of us have thrown ourselves wholeheartedly into a new hobby, only to find our interest waning months later?
Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion, said Hegel. And indeed, passion is the fuel that often starts our engines. But is it enough to sustain us on life’s long journey?
Defining Calling
A calling, on the other hand, is like that deep-seated hunger for connection that I mentioned earlier – the ‘soul hunger’ that no amount of chocolate can satisfy. It’s a persistent whisper, sometimes so quiet we can barely hear it above the noise of our daily lives.
Aristotle once said, Your calling is where your talents and the needs of the world cross.
This intersection of personal ability and human needs creates a sense of purpose that goes beyond individual satisfaction. It’s about finding our place in the grand tapestry of life.
Similarities between Passion and Calling
Both passion and calling can fill us with a sense of aliveness, much like the joy of a child biting into a warm cookie. They engage our emotions, drive our actions, and can lead to profound personal growth.
In the best scenarios, our passions and our calling align, creating a harmonious melody in the process, even if their rhythms are different. But this alignment isn’t always a given, and discerning between the two can be challenging.
Key Differences
Passion often springs from within, like the cookie that makes my mouth water. A calling frequently feels like it comes from beyond ourselves – much like that mysterious connection to the divine that we struggle to articulate.
Passion can be fleeting, changing with the seasons of our lives (or with the menu for each meal.) A calling, however, tends to persist, even in the face of difficulty or disinterest.
Passion often focuses on our personal satisfaction, while a calling typically involves service to others or a cause greater than ourselves. You could think of it as the difference between enjoying a cookie and baking for a community in need.
Can Passion Lead to a Calling?
Just as my childhood love for cookies led me to deeper reflections on love and connection, our passions can sometimes evolve into callings.
Take a few minutes to think about some of your passions.
Mine include playing the fiddle, camping, and reading. We can see some connections with ways our passions serve others, but generally these things are for personal enrichment or just plain fun.
The Dangers of Conflating Passion and Calling
Mistaking passion for calling can be like trying to satisfy your deepest spiritual hunger with material rewards.
I have often thought how nice it would be to be called to be a taste tester for a bakery, or even to be a librarian. But neither of those opportunities have appeared for me.
Anyway, I would probably be fired as a librarian for reading on the job.
Fiddling for some people is a divine calling. Their music is almost always for the benefit of others.
And I have a friend who has made her living as a nature guide. For these people their passion and calling may be the same thing.
It might work to pursue a passion as a calling for a while, but without a sense that we are responding to something beyond ourselves we’ll find ourselves still yearning for more.
How do you experience the fleeting flames of passion? Can you feel the difference between the dopamine rush of a new hobby and the steady warmth of a true calling?
Discernment comes by listening to the stirrings deep within your soul —to the still, small voice, to distinguish between the exciting yet transient passions and the deeper, more persistent call of our life’s purpose.
Conclusion
In the end, both passion and calling have their place in our lives. Like many spiritual practices they help us connect with something beyond ourselves. Passion ignites us, while calling guides us. Together, they can lead us on a journey of growth, purpose, and deep fulfillment.
As we navigate this mystery of life, may we learn to embrace both our passions and our callings, allowing them to shape us into the people we’re meant to become.
Something to reflect on each week…
just let us know where to send it!
