Find your calling - Letters - Letter to the Editor

Black Enterprise, May, 2003

"IS YOUR CAREER YOUR CALLING?" IS A question I answered for myself just months before this article was published in BLACK ENTERPRISE. For me, the answer was a resounding no! Reading this article was additional confirmation, and I proceeded to sing its praises to everyone I know. My February 2003 issue of BE went from hand to hand, and some readers were even inspired to subscribe to the magazine.

Paula McGee, [the writer of the article], stated that when she is working with people, the first question she asks is, "Who are you?" Last year, I made that question the focal point of my prayers. I believed that God was calling me to do something, and I knew that my career was not even close to it. He did answer me. I learned that I am a writer, and I have accepted the challenge to positively impact the world through my calling, as God sees fit.

I believe that understanding the difference between your calling and your career (or knowing if it is already one and the same) means the difference between a fulfilling life or a life void of meaning, focus, and direction. Ms. McGee has illustrated the positive option for Us in her article and her life. There is a unique gift placed inside each one of us, and when tapped into, there is no limit to our potential in that area. As long as we channel that gift in a positive way we have the potential to impact and change the world, making it a more positive place for generations to come.

Thank you, Ms. McGee, for writing such an enlightening article that is truly in season, and thank you, BE, for being the vessel used to usher this faith-based word into the world. We could certainly use more publications out there like this one.

Monica P. Watkins
Altanta, Georgia

I READ THE FEBRUARY 2003 ISSUE OF BE and found the article "Is Your Career Your Calling?" enriching and helpful. I received my B.S. in mechanical engineering from Tennessee State University and an M.B.A. from Indiana Wesleyan University, but I can honestly admit that at 34, I'm not sure what my calling is yet. Right now, I'm just going through the motions of being employed at various companies in a variety of positions that are mostly lacking in that special something, which makes a job more than an inconvenient necessity.

While I've been a gas design engineer, quality engineer, and maintenance supervisor (my current position), I've found part of my calling in my love for movies. My wife and I have been writing movie reviews for a locally owned black newspaper for the past 15 months and have enjoyed that very much. We even garnered enough notoriety that the general manager of a local [theater] chain offered us a private screening (our first) of Antwone Fisher.

That said, there are so many of us, including myself, in search of "mo' chedda" that we occasionally lose sight of what's really important (my wife of nearly 13 years and our two beautiful daughters). Reading your article helps me put it in perspective and helps add a sense of clarity in an otherwise busy life. BE's constant economic empowerment message, however, is not lost on me either, but is rather a well-structured afterthought to making sure I, we, and all of us have our priorities in the right place.

Josh D. Johnson
Fort Wayne, Indiana
jjohnson@auburnfoundry.com

I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE February 2003 cover article: "Live Your Dreams: How To Find Your True Calling." The article really hit home for me and spoke to the root of my restlessness and discontentment in life.

Many of us never abide in our life's calling and constantly search for self-worth in all the wrong places. I personally related to the article for I have worked in the information technology field for almost 10 years now. At 31 years old, I have become more cognizant of the fact that what a person does for a living can be quite different from what they are "called" (by God) to do.

The areas in my life that I simply called "passions" or "hobbies," as stated in your article, have now been identified as major components of "who I am" and not "what I do" outside of work. Old passions and dreams have been revitalized within me recently. Today, I brushed the dust off an old manuscript that I wrote last year called "The Time is Now, Doing the Best With What You Have." I plan to have it published sometime this year. Consequently, my book speaks about many of the issues addressed in your article. Everyone has something to offer the world, but the challenge is finding out what God has given you and utilizing it. Perhaps your article was the spark I needed to become the spark I am called to be for others.

I foresee some major changes happening in my life this year. It's time to stop expending precious energy fighting the negative opinions of others and even myself at times. God has a divine purpose and calling for each of us. We only need the faith and courage to step out and be who we really are.

Cedric Lang
Tallahassee, Florida

Cedric_Lang2001@yahoo.com