S4E1: Journey of Vocation with Michaela O’Donnell Long

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Summary

Passion is not the Holy Grail of work. Instead, we should see our work as a journey of discovery, rather than searching for a needle in a haystack. Michaela O'Donnell Long, senior director of the De Pree Center at Fuller Theological Seminary, joins us to talk about what we can learn from entrepreneurs and how we can apply that to a life with Christ.

Highlights

On pursing "passion" in our work:

"I've found that it's actually not so easy to know what you're passionate about. It's not so easy to go and find a job that matches up with that passion. And that having that be the sole aim, particularly so early in our careers, often sets us up for disillusionment, discontentment, heartbreak."

On a better approach to work:

"Trying things, iterating and reflecting are some of our greatest tools for learning about how God is forming us and fitting us for this world. In this, we are reminded that vocation is formed, not found through an ongoing and often complicated process of discernment, rooted in context, convictions and communities."

On our vocational journey:

"'There's room for every person...to adopt and embody some of these entrepreneurial mindsets and practices that can help us all move toward a more full discovery of our sense of ongoing vocation rather than having our heads down towards the sand, looking for our vocation to be something we stumbled upon."

Four practices of spiritual development:1. Empathy2. Imagination3. Risk-taking4. Reflection

Resources

Michaela joins as our keynote speaker for "Women, Work, and Calling" on November 9th. Join us!Learn more about Michaela's work at the De Pree Center and Long Winter Media.Download the episode transcript.

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