I recently had a conversation with a very good friend of mine who admitted to having lost his way vocationally. Several years ago he was in a place where he was doing pretty well financially and quite busy in his chosen area of business. But with the economic crunch that began in 2008, business began to dwindle. Opportunities were still out there, but he allowed discouragement to get in the way. Instead of tackling the challenges that he was facing, he froze!

Over the course of the next several years he wandered from one ‘job’ to the next, looking for something that would bring fulfillment and maybe some financial security. Most recently he spent over a year working in an industry that he disliked (although he did have years of experience in it), working for an owner with very little appreciation for the value of his employees.

After several months of dissatisfaction and tension the ‘light’ finally came on (remember the story of the Prodigal Son?). And he realized that he had had the vocation that he loved years before and was finally ready to tackle the demons that had kept him from continued success.

He is now back doing those very things that bring him fulfillment AND that he is good at. He hasn’t made enough money to retire yet, but is back in the saddle and you can’t wipe the smile off his face.

If you are one who is stuck in a ‘job’ instead of a ‘vocation’ I would highly recommend a book by Dan Miller entitled “48 Days to the Job You Love”. It is a great piece of encouragement for those tired of the rut they have gotten themselves into and want to get out…just like my friend.