“Seeking your calling is a process of discovery that continues throughout your life, informed by your questions, your conflicts, and your deepest dreams. It is the journey known by many names, from Homer’s Odyssey to the pilgrimage in Dante’s Divine Comedy and the quests of the knights of the round table, to the vision quests of Native Americans, and the path of the Chinese sage, Lao Tzu.
Abraham Maslow called it self-actualization. Joseph Campbell knew it as the “hero’s journey.” It is the dynamic voyage of self-discovery central to the Renaissance, and it is our journey, yours and mine, as we seek to live with greater joy and purpose, becoming more deeply, more authentically ourselves.
As you become more aware of your calling, it weaves like a bright thread through the daily fabric of your life, and as you move through life’s seasons, into new roles in your work, family, and community, every stage in life invites you to discover your calling on another level. Pursuing your calling can make you happier, healthier, and more energetic, filling you with the joyous engagement known as the ‘flow,’ and bringing greater meaning to your life.
In whatever season of your life you find yourself now, your inner restlessness is a sign that your life is changing. You are poised on the edge of possibility, ready to begin the journey to become more fully yourself.
Review these 10 ‘Renaissance Principles’ to help you find your calling and record your thoughts in a Journal. Listen to yourself, embrace your gifts, shed unproductive habits, live your values, and develop a stronger sense of yourself. One small step at a time, you will dramatically transform your life.
1. Your calling is your vocation of destiny, bringing greater joy and meaning to your life.
2. Your daily choices shape your life and inform the world.
3. There is 
a part of you that is forever young, playful, curious, and true that leads you to your calling.
4. Detach from the noisy world around you to follow the deepest values of your heart.
5. You are here to discover your gifts and use them to fulfill your destiny.
6. Discernment means following what inspires you and releasing what diminishes you.
7. You excel by focusing on your strengths, not dwelling on your weaknesses.
8. Small actions over time produce monumental results.
9. New Renaissance men and women affirm creative growth for themselves and one another.
10. When you reach out to follow your calling, the universe supports you with a world of possibilities.”
Your Personal Renaissance: Twelve Steps To Finding Your Life’s True Calling, Diane Dreher, p. 2- 14.
