​If You’re Looking for a Calling, You’re Missing the Point​

Hey friend,

I woke up one morning with that thought in my mind. I’d only slept a few hours; the night was spent having a difficult conversation that left me defeated.

A chilling realisation awaited me the next morning—I had no reason to get out of bed. I was in limbo. Days passed and events unfolded without purpose in sight, yet people around me seemed to be enjoying their lives, saturated with purpose and motivation.

So I decided to look for a purpose. My friends were building families, advancing their careers, and doing good for the world. What was my calling? What was that activity that would get me out of bed every morning and propel me towards a better future?

I read philosophy books, questioned my own existence, and started working on myself. All so that my calling would eventually reveal itself to me.

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During this time, I discovered what things in life brought me joy and I naturally devoted more time to them. I enjoyed learning and creating for their own sake. After a while, I completely forgot I was looking for a calling in the first place. It didn’t matter, because life was good.

It was only when I thought about finding this elusive calling that I felt like I was missing something. But that was a realisation in itself.

I thought that if I could find my calling, I would finally be content. What a trap I had pushed myself into! Unknowingly, I put my own happiness on hold.

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Having a purpose is yet another concept that doesn’t have any intrinsic power over our wellbeing other than what we give it. It’s another story we use to make sense of our suffering.

But you’re not suffering because you don’t have something to devote your life to. You’re suffering because you think you need it.

Being content with life isn’t a state dependent on having something to do. It depends on you not having to figure it out.

You don’t need a purpose or a calling. They’re both misconstrued as things that make life worth living, or even part of your identity. No thing can reveal the marvel of life other than living itself. It doesn’t require any rationalising to be enjoyed.

This is not an excuse to ignore your duties and watch Netflix all day; inactivity is not a solution, and your conscience will punish you for it.

By all means, find what it is that you enjoy doing, but be careful not to fall into the trap of believing that it will permanently satisfy you. To gain contentment you only need to feel what it is like to be alive. Right now, stop reading, and feel what it is like to be consciously present.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this week’s letter. Send them to hi@chrisbasha.com and I'll address them in the next one.

Thank you for reading,
Chris

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