Why Searching For Your Calling Is Keeping You Lost

Are you feeling lost in the endless search for your one true purpose? This talk challenges the notion of a pre-defined calling, exposing the limitations of this quest and revealing why it's time to stop searching and start creating meaning in the present moment while releasing yourself from the pressure of needing to have it all figured out.

Michael Basilious is the person behind Sapientiam.
He shares his voice with a passion for bringing ancient wisdom to modern ears. Through captivating storytelling, he empowers listeners to unlock their inner potential and live their best lives.

Transcript

You're on a quest,

A relentless search for something that feels elusive,

For something that society tells you you must have,

Your purpose.

You've likely been told that until you find that one,

True calling,

Your life will be incomplete,

That you'll always be wandering,

Lost without direction.

But what if this very search for your purpose is the thing that's keeping you lost?

What if this notion of having to find a predefined destiny is a myth that's keeping you paralyzed,

Waiting for some grand revelation rather than taking action and creating a life that truly matters?

It's time to examine this idea and realize how much it holds you back.

This isn't about denying the importance of meaning in life,

It's about challenging the percolate and often harmful idea that there's only one path that is right for you.

The idea that you have a singular calling that you must discover,

As if it were some hidden treasure.

You've probably seen this endless search in books,

Movies,

Or even among the people around you.

This search for that one true calling creates a sense of pressure,

An overwhelming feeling that you need to have it all figured out,

That there's something inherently wrong with not knowing your ultimate path.

This pressure to have it all figured out often leads to a paralyzing fear of making the wrong decision,

Of choosing the wrong career,

The wrong path,

Or the wrong way of life.

You might spend endless hours in self-reflection,

Analyzing your every thought,

Every feeling,

Desperately searching for the answers that you are told must exist somewhere.

It's like searching for a key that doesn't even exist,

Wasting your time,

Energy,

And your effort.

The truth is,

This idea of a singular calling is often an illusion,

A romanticized notion that's been created by society,

And is reinforced in popular culture,

Making it seem as if everyone has this one clear path that they are destined to follow.

But what if life is not about following a predefined path,

But about creating your own path,

By aligning with your values and taking steps that are important to you?

The truth is,

Life isn't a straight line.

It's a winding road filled with countless possibilities,

And with many different avenues that you can take.

Waiting for a grand revelation,

For that magical moment where your purpose suddenly becomes clear,

Can be a trap that keeps you from taking any real action.

This is a problem that affects many people.

It's a form of procrastination,

A way to avoid engaging with your life right now.

You might believe that once you find your purpose,

Everything will magically fall into place,

That all your doubts and fears will disappear,

But that's simply not how life works.

Real meaning is not found by waiting for a calling,

But by taking the first step,

Even when you do not know where it will lead.

It is in the process of living that you will discover your purpose,

And not by waiting for it to come.

This isn't about telling you that purpose is not important,

Or that you shouldn't strive to create a life that is meaningful and fulfilling.

This is about challenging the flawed belief that you need to find a predefined purpose before you can begin to live fully.

It's time to let go of this pressure,

This need to have it all figured out,

And to embrace the messy and unpredictable journey of life where you can choose who you want to be.

It's time to stop searching and start creating,

By aligning with your values,

Taking action,

And engaging in the world with curiosity and a genuine desire to make a positive impact.

Real meaning is not waiting to be found,

It's waiting to be created.

We've established that the relentless search for a singular purpose can keep you unfulfilled.

Now let's explore how societal expectations contribute to this paralysis,

How these pressures to have it all figured out from the beginning creates a cycle of fear,

Doubt,

And inaction.

This isn't just about your own internal struggles,

It's about the external forces that are actively shaping your beliefs about purpose,

Success,

And your place in the world.

From a young age you're bombarded with messages that tell you you need to have a clear plan for your future,

That you need to choose a career path,

And that you need to know exactly what you're doing with your life.

This pressure to have it all figured out is not only unrealistic,

It's also incredibly harmful,

As it creates a sense of urgency,

A feeling that you're running out of time.

It creates a fear of making the wrong choices,

And that if you do not know what you want,

There is something inherently wrong with you.

Think about the way society often values achievement over process,

The focus on a specific destination,

Rather than the journey itself.

It's as if you're being told that you need to be on a predetermined path,

And that if you deviate from it,

You'll be forever lost.

This creates a mindset where you're constantly comparing yourself to others,

Measuring your progress against a societal yardstick that is often unrealistic and unattainable,

A set of standards that were not chosen by you,

But that you feel obliged to follow.

This pressure often comes from well-meaning family and friends,

Who are often projecting their own fears and insecurities onto you,

And telling you what you should be doing.

They might ask you about your career plans,

Your long-term goals,

And your purpose in life,

Putting you on the spot,

And reinforcing that you must have answers right now.

This can create a sense of obligation,

A feeling that you must conform to their expectations rather than choosing your own path.

It's like being pressured to fit into a mold that was not designed for you,

Forcing you to diminish your unique qualities in order to meet others' standards.

Even educational institutions often perpetuate this myth,

By emphasizing the importance of specialization,

Of choosing a specific major,

Of focusing on one particular area of study,

As if your whole life depends on it.

This reinforces the belief that you must choose a single career path and stick with it for the rest of your life.

This approach limits your creativity and your opportunities when your life is far more dynamic and filled with unexplored possibilities.

You are not one thing,

You are many things.

Social media also plays a significant role in reinforcing this pressure,

By showcasing highlight reels of other people's seemingly perfect lives,

Creating the illusion that everyone else has it all figured out,

Except you.

It often promotes a culture of comparison,

Where you're constantly measuring yourself against others,

And where you feel like you must achieve a certain level of success to be deemed worthy.

These highlight reels make it seem like success is instant,

Ignoring the struggles,

The doubts,

And the countless small steps that everyone takes along the way,

Making the path look easy,

When it is not.

This constant pressure to have it all figured out from the very beginning creates a sense of paralysis,

A fear of making the wrong choices,

And a reluctance to explore your passions,

To take risks,

And to try new things.

You might find yourself stuck in a cycle of analysis,

Overthinking every decision,

And avoiding taking any meaningful action,

All while you are stuck in the trap of trying to conform to others' expectations.

It's time to recognize that this pressure to have it all figured out is a myth,

A societal construct that's designed to keep you in line.

You do not need to have all the answers,

To have a clear path,

Or to know your destiny from the very beginning.

It's time to let go of the pressure to embrace the uncertainty of life,

And to start living according to your own values and your own truth,

And that is enough.

You do not need to live a life that others have designed for you,

You have the power to choose your own unique path.

It is time to claim it.

We've seen how societal pressure contributes to the paralysis of the purpose-driven life.

Now let's dig into the illusion of a single path,

This idea of having the one true calling,

And how this limiting belief prevents you from exploring your potential,

And from creating a life that is truly fulfilling and meaningful.

What if life is not a linear path,

But a vast,

Open landscape of endless opportunities?

What if you were not meant to choose only one thing,

But to experience all the beautiful options life has to offer?

The concept of the one true calling suggests that you have a singular path,

A predestined role that you must discover to be truly happy and fulfilled.

It's as if you were born with a specific purpose,

And that your entire life is a quest to uncover it.

This can create a sense of pressure,

A belief that if you don't discover this calling,

You'll always be wandering,

Lost,

And without direction.

This creates a sense of a ticking clock,

That you need to discover this path before it's too late.

This idea is not only unrealistic,

But also incredibly limiting.

It suggests that your potential is limited,

And that you can only find meaning in one particular career path,

One particular role,

One particular way of life.

It forces you to choose from the options that are given to you,

Not considering that your true calling may be something that you've yet to discover,

Or maybe something that you will create.

This belief also ignores the dynamic and evolving nature of life,

That you are not just one thing,

But many things.

You are not meant to be static,

You are meant to grow,

To change,

And to explore different aspects of yourself throughout your life,

And forcing yourself into a single path will deny that dynamic,

And stop you from embracing the full potential of who you are.

The truth is,

You are a multi-faceted being with a wide range of talents,

Passions,

And interests,

And to choose only one path will create a life that is not balanced.

To truly be fulfilled,

You must explore and express all of your gifts,

Not just the ones that fit into a predefined box.

This is why the search for a single purpose often leads to discontent.

You are not meant to do one thing,

You are meant to do many things,

And you are free to explore all the possibilities that life has to offer.

This idea of the one true calling also ignores the inherent value in the journey itself.

If the focus is on finding a predetermined destination,

You can often overlook the importance of the process,

Of learning,

Of growing,

And of adapting as you move forward.

You must understand that life is not a straight line,

You must embrace the detours and to allow the detours to make you stronger and wiser.

The pursuit of this single path also creates a sense of comparison as you see others moving seemingly effortlessly towards their own specific goals.

This will make you feel inadequate,

That you are not good enough,

That you are lost,

When in reality you are simply walking your own unique path.

You are the author of your story and you do not need to compare it with someone else's book.

The illusion of a single path is a limiting belief that prevents you from exploring your full potential and from creating a life that is truly authentic and fulfilling.

It is time to let go of the idea that you need to choose one single thing and to embrace the beautiful messiness of life where you have the freedom to explore multiple avenues,

Where you have the opportunity to express your diverse passions and where you have the power to create your own unique and meaningful path.

It is time to expand your horizons,

To release the pressure of having to choose one thing and to understand that life has much more in store for you than that.

We've explored the illusion of a single path and how it limits your potential.

Now let's address another dangerous trap,

The tendency to wait for a grand revelation,

For that magical moment when your purpose suddenly becomes clear rather than taking action in the present moment.

This is a powerful trap that keeps you waiting endlessly for something to happen,

Instead of embracing the uncertainty of life and acting in the present moment.

This idea of waiting for a calling often stems from a belief that purpose is something that is found,

That it's out there waiting for you to discover and that you must sit still until the universe finally reveals it to you.

This creates a sense of passivity,

A belief that you don't have any agency and you must wait and hope for something to happen.

This is not only inaccurate but it is incredibly disempowering.

It puts your life on hold,

Waiting for an epiphany that may never come.

This is often disguised as spiritual growth that if you are just being patient,

If you are just meditating and if you are just doing nothing,

Then the universe will reveal your path.

But what is really happening is that you are using spirituality as a form of avoidance,

As a way to not engage with your life because you are scared of making the wrong decision or because you are scared of failing.

You must understand that life isn't a passive experience but an active co-creation with the universe.

You are meant to participate in the creation of your life,

Not just sit back and hope for the best.

The truth is purpose is not something that you find by waiting,

It is something you create by living.

It's through taking action,

Through engaging with the world,

Through exploring your passions and your interests that you actually uncover what you truly care about.

It's through the process of living that you discover your path and not by simply thinking about it.

Waiting for a grand revelation often leads to analysis paralysis,

A state where you are constantly overthinking,

Overanalyzing and delaying any meaningful actions due to fear of making the wrong choices.

You become trapped in a cycle of endless contemplation,

Waiting for the perfect moment to act instead of recognizing that the perfect moment does not exist and that the perfect moment is now.

This is a form of procrastination,

A way to avoid the discomfort of uncertainty,

The fear of stepping outside of your comfort zone and the possibility of making mistakes.

You've created a belief that the universe will tell you what you need to do and if you don't hear that message clearly enough you are waiting and waiting and you are letting precious time slip away,

All due to this fear of action.

The fear of making the wrong decision often stems from a belief that there's only one correct path,

That any deviation will lead you astray and that a bad decision is one you cannot recover from.

But life is not a straight line,

It's a journey of twists and turns,

Of unexpected detours and of new discoveries.

It is in the detours that you will find your true path,

Not by trying to follow the instructions given to you by others.

The most meaningful insights about your life,

Your passions and your purpose come not from waiting but from taking action.

It's in the doing that you discover who you are,

What you love and what you are meant to contribute to the world.

It is through the exploration of possibilities that you uncover your potential.

This is not to say that you shouldn't take time for reflection or self-discovery,

It's about recognizing the importance of balance,

The need to combine inner contemplation with real-world engagement.

It's about choosing to be proactive in your life,

Taking meaningful steps towards your goals and embracing the uncertainty that comes along the path because that is how you learn and grow.

Stop waiting for a grand revelation and start taking action.

Start exploring your passions,

Start engaging with the world and start creating a life that is meaningful and fulfilling.

Your purpose is not something to be discovered,

It is something to be created.

And the best way to find out what you are capable of is to start doing.

Everything we've explored today points toward a powerful shift in perspective.

Your purpose is not something you find,

It's something you create.

You've seen how the parklet idea of a single predefined calling often leads to paralysis,

Fear and a sense of inadequacy.

You've understood how societal pressures and limiting beliefs reinforce the idea that you need to have all the answers,

That you need to know exactly what you are doing and where you are going.

And you've learned the dangers of waiting for a grand revelation,

Of allowing a feeling of uncertainty to stop you from taking action.

It's time to release the pressure,

To let go of the need to have it all figured out and to embrace the dynamic,

Ever-evolving nature of life.

You have the power within you to create meaning,

To shape your own path and to live a life that is both fulfilling and impactful.

Take a moment to reflect on your own journey.

Are you still searching for something that feels elusive?

Or are you ready to take the reins and create a life that is truly aligned with your values and passions?

Commit to becoming an active creator of your purpose rather than a passive seeker and allow your life to be shaped by what you do and not by what you hope to find.