May 4, 2022  

VOCATION: You Have at Least Five

Darren Smith

Cornerstone Content, Mission, Weekly TRUTH

I never thought I needed to know anything about the word, “vocation,” because I really didn’t know what it meant. My understanding was too narrow and, believe it or not, I actually thought I was above use of this word! Well, it turns out to have been the opposite. VOCATION is a big, powerful word. First, vocare is the Latin translation of the word “vocation,” which means “a calling to do a specific thing.”   So what? Well, second, we have at least five of these callings. They relate to the roles you have in your life, which may include: 
  • son/daughter
  • sibling
  • parent
  • work colleague
  • friend
  • community member
  • spirit-filled person  
Is it alright to keep going? Here’s where it gets deep. Your mission is your specific calling to execute within each of your vocations. Your vocations are the mediums through which others experience you.   What this means to me (and you) is we have to execute our mission in every vocation, all the time. That’s what integrity is all about. It’s wholeness. You are the same person all the time. There are no days off. There are no excuses.  Think about how you can execute your mission, to help others in a very specific way, in each of your vocations and track your successes. Do you feel more integrated?

This article was last modified on January 3, 2023 .

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About the author 

Darren Smith

Darren Smith is Co-Founder of the Authentic Leadership Institute. He is a native Texan and a graduate of Dallas Jesuit and Texas A&M University. Over the past 25 years, Darren has visited 35 countries and led 100 strategy programs. He and his wife have five children.

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