Our deepest calling
Reflecting on and discussing purpose or calling in life can be deeply personal. Growing up in an evangelical household, the idea of purpose or why the good lord created me would bring great anxiety... What if I miss it?
Fresh out of college, I truly thought there was only one concrete reason for existence, and I needed to find it asap before I missed my one shot. Eventually, I began to see that I have many versatile strengths and gifts to bring to the world… all I needed to do was discern the most optimal path at the given time: the present moment and the present circumstances. As with any living organism, the moving-being evolves in co-creation with its environment. At every moment, we are connected to and shaped by the changing world around us.
Individual purpose is morphed and changed by the landscape of life: our daily actions and habits, our relationships and families, our resources and bank accounts, and our general level of safety and stability.
Organizational purpose is morphed and changed by the landscape of business: our political and social rules, our market and economic conditions, and our freedom and autonomy to innovate and explore new possibilities.
For many folks, these landscapes have been nearly impossible — volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. Most everyone in the world has been affected by these conditions in one way or another. What if we could be more present to ourselves (and our organizations) in a way that heightened our ability to navigate this constantly shifting landscape?
Since those early career decisions, the expressions of my strength have evolved, yet the thread running through them is the same as always and it goes something like this: Why can’t we come up with ways for organizing life so that more people are more happy? Even as a kid, I was very interested in collaboration done well – the give and take of being in harmony with my environment and the people in it. I’ll play your game if you play mine. I’ll do the cooking if you do the dishes. I’ll give you a back scratch if you scratch mine. Nearly all of my clients can easily identify how their strengths showed up in some way in childhood (and I still like to trade back scratches).
“Nature, humankind, relationships: everything evolves, driven by a life force, to adapt, transform and grow. From [this] perspective, organizations are viewed as an independent energy field with a purpose that transcends its stakeholders. In this paradigm, we don’t own or run the organization; instead, we are stewards, listening to where it needs to go and helping it to do its work in the world.”
This description reminded me of Parker Palmer’s book Let Your Life Speak – which is a beautiful text to support individuals in embracing their authentic gifts. It starts with listening quietly to our inner voices – what our experiences, strengths, and intuition are telling us. Palmer shares, “Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic selfhood, 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 being seeks – we will also find our path of authentic service in the world.”
The heart of our work supports both individual and collective strength empowerment, the latter made possible by every individual standing firmly and confidently in their authentic strengths and gifts. Why not fully embrace this dynamic process of co-creation? Why not invest in growing awareness of your innate strengths and gifts, developing resilience and confidence in navigating the landscape of work and life? Why not invest in growing awareness of your organization’s innate strength and gifts, cultivating agility and interdependence on the landscape of work and business?
Why not.
About
Canon Collaborative is on a mission to create positive change in the world through revolutionizing experience at work. We partner with innovative, purpose-driven individuals and organizations to establish and steward a foundation of strength. Our nature-inspired approach brings focus on wellbeing, creativity, and collaboration. Learn more about the heart of our work.
