"Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic selfhood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be. As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks—we will also find our path of authentic service in the world. True vocation joins self and service, as Frederick Buechner asserts when he defines vocation as ‘the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.’ Buechner’s definition starts with the self and moves toward the needs of the world: it begins, wisely, where vocation begins—not in what the world needs (which is everything), but in the nature of the human self, in what brings the self joy."
— Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak
For both of us, a big reason we started the Leadershippy project is so we could combine the things that fill us with deep gladness (learning, writing, developing new people-first strategies for working, meeting and collaborating with kind and interesting people), as well as fill a specific need (which we hopefully do for you when we share these things, which simultaneously introduces more people to &yet, filling a need for our team).
How about you? What lies at the intersection between your deep gladness and the world’s deep need?
What fills you with “deep gladness”?
At home:
At work:
In creative projects:
With other people:
By yourself:
How could you give yourself more of that feeling? What could you change in your existing roles and projects, or what new roles and projects could you pursue?
At home:
At work:
In creative projects:
With other people:
By yourself: