Lilly Grant: Exploring Our Gifts
- MUSIC AND VOCATION
Authentic Vocation: Sing Your Own Song, Listen for Your Own Drummer
Augsburg Chapel Talk—March 24, 2004
Janis Weller
When people ask me about The Elision Institute, I tell them my ‘elevator speech’ –that I focus on the spirituality of work, particularly with musicians, what Parker Palmer calls “our birthright giftedness”—our true or authentic vocation in life. This morning, I would like to touch briefly on two ideas related to vocation, focusing on the search for authenticity in vocation: what is true and authentic to each of us. We’ll look at authentic motivation, and then at authentic vocation itself.
First, Authentic Motivation
So here you are at Augsburg. Is your career path clear to you or are
you majoring in the nationally recognized “most popular” major,
Undecided?
Are you pursuing your dreams and goals or the dreams and goals that society or other people have for you? Are you primarily following your aptitudes or your passions, or are you lucky enough that aptitude and passion are one and the same for you?
Here’s a helpful way to look at authentic motivation:
Be mindful of the times you are truly and deeply engaged in an activity, when time seems to stand still or fly by. Psychologist/author, Mihaly Csikszentmihaly calls those times FLOW. He says that, “Flow is a state of concentration so focused that it amounts to absolute absorption in an activity. In FLOW, people typically feel strong, alert, in effortless control, unselfconscious, and at the peak of their abilities. Both the sense of time and emotional problems seem to disappear, and there is an exhilarating feeling of transcendence.”
Sounds pretty great, eh? Artists tend to understand and experience flow consciously, but flow can happen in everyday activities too. Just pay attention. Notice the times when you get fired up, when your heart beats a bit faster, maybe you talk a little quicker or with more energy, and when you look up, hours have disappeared.
What melts your butter? What toots your horn? Why is that? Then think about where that might lead you. When you get in the habit of noticing FLOW, themes may start to emerge over time. If you’re really diligent, you can even try keeping a flow journal.
When you begin to discover and really take ownership of these various buttermelters in your life (and there may be quite a few—hobbies and other activities, not just schoolwork), you can start conceiving how they might fit together, in perhaps logical or perhaps very unique ways as you begin to imagine your future.
Albert Schweitzer, renowned humanitarian, theologian, medical doctor,
musician (wow, what a model for vocation!) said:
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key
to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
Then, Authentic Vocation
We’re fortunate to be living in a time where the idea of “vocation,” or “calling” (another name for vocation) is really emerging as a concept and philosophy that applies to all of us, in every field, not just in religious life or skilled labor. Augsburg is a leader in exploring these ideas, working to incorporate a broad vision of vocation, and stimulating students and faculty to consider vocation first as personal and values-centered, and as more than expertise, more than job training, more than preparing for ‘success’, however we might define it. Further, vocation is closely connected to serving our communities.
As kids we’re often asked what we want to be ‘when we grow up.’ Is it a dancer, baseball player, firefighter, teacher, engineer, pastor, musician? We tend to look at outside models when we first think about choosing a career.
Later, as we think about college and what major to choose, we often feel pressure to select a career path long before we really understand enough about a field to know if it’s a good fit for us. You may have a particular aptitude and interest in math, for example, and find people encouraging you to be an engineer. But what does that really mean? What do engineers really do every day? Would you find the work absorbing, intriguing, motivating, inspiring, and challenging, day after day? Maybe you would, or maybe not so much. So it’s important to learn much more than the expertise needed to do a job.
What would happen if instead of starting the process by choosing a job/career path, we started by looking deeply at ourselves, examining what we’re good at and what we love to do? And not just school subjects like math or writing or history. Are you a good listener, planner, do-er, organizer, instigator, leader, problem solver, team player? Are you detail-oriented or a big picture person? Are you persistent, diplomatic, energetic, patient, creative and on and on? How will your values and faith affect your career choices?
How do you like to spend your time? Do you thrive on pressure and deadlines and fast paced activities or prefer a laid back atmosphere to be productive?
As you learn more about your own strengths, talents, and style, start to apply these ideas to the careers you are considering. What is the range of options within your field? What sorts of talents, personal styles, temperament, and personalities tend to do well in each aspect of your chosen field? How can you tailor your search to fit you? In music, the talents, temperament and personality traits of performers, teachers, composers, and music therapists, to name just four specialties at Augsburg for example, vary widely—and that’s just the tip of the possibilities that musicians can explore. The world is fluid, and the incredible pace of our world today requires a nimbleness previously unknown. Gaining the core knowledge, skills, and expertise in a field are just the first steps in preparing to enter the work world and creating a compelling, sustainable vocation over time.
So in conclusion…
You are the only one who can truly explore what is authentic for you. Your authentic vocation may or may not match what your parents or teachers (or even you, yourself at this point) have in mind for yourself.
Parker Palmer says, this process entails discovering, exploring and owning, “secrets hidden in plain sight,” –a wonderful reminder.
I encourage you to be mindful, notice FLOW in your life, and consider
authentic motivation on the fascinating, life-long journey toward your
authentic vocation.
Most importantly, don’t squander the gift of who you are. While
authentic vocation is no guarantee of fame or fortune, a spiritual approach
to work—authentic vocation—is not only possible, it is a
path to meaning and fulfillment in life and an opportunity to maximize
your gifts in service to your community.
Thank you.