Feeling the Pressure?

Are you feeling pressure from your family and friends to make a choice about what you’re going to do with your life? It happens to all of us. I’m going through it now, as are my college age friends. I took to social media (Facebook) and asked them how they cope with the pressure of finding their calling. Here are some of their ways of coping (in italics) and some of my own as well:

• Smile and take the time to listen to others’ advice. Remember, this doesn’t mean you have to take this advice. “Listen to any advice they give me and take it all in, they've been through the things in heading for so I might as well learn from them, then I do as I please with my life while keeping all of their advice and wisdom in mind, but when it comes to what career I am pursuing that is my choice alone and no one will change my mind.” Nobody can live your life for you or make your own choices for you.

• Answer honestly. Tell people you don’t know where you’re headed. I do this all the time, especially when people ask what I plan on doing with my college degree (I’m working on my Bachelor’s in Theology) once I graduate.

• Explore. Go deeper. It might take some serious soul searching, but exploring a certain path of life in a deeper way can help you determine where you are going, at least vaguely. You can explore multiple things. There is no rule that says you have to explore one thing at a time.

• Find something else you’re interested in and go do it. Do you like working with animals? Go take some classes on that. Have a passion for music? Study it in college. Have you always wanted to go skydiving? Go do it! The possibilities are endless for you. There is nothing holding you back except for you.

• Be yourself! “Tell them if they oppose what you're doing they should thank God they didn't choose it for their life!!! BE WHO AND WHAT YOU WANT TO BE!!!”

• Study. None of us like to do homework, but studying can be so much more than that, especially studying scripture. There is good advice in the Bible, and you can get so much reassurance that you are not alone.

• That being said, seek community with those who are also under pressure. This helps immensely, because people to talk to means that you are able to learn from people of other backgrounds and hear about things from their perspective. Best of all, you are all in the same boat!

• Journal. You don’t have to do it in a specific format. Just get your thoughts out there. Maybe you want to start blogging. Do that. Maybe your thoughts flow better through a pen, and ink flowing onto paper. Write in a notebook, draw. Express yourself.

• Pray. Praying is the best way to get a clearer head, especially when you’re feeling a sense of disconnect from God. If your prayer life happens to be a little rusty, this is a great time to revamp it!

• “Deal with the now. Take comfort in the adventure of not knowing, and embrace a reckless confidence in God.”

• Find a spiritual person to guide you. “If anyone, I would listen to the advice of a spiritual person because they are likely to tell you like it is and in order to live a spirit filled life, it’s always good to have someone watching over you, but not too closely.” If you feel comfortable talking to a priest, you can do that. He will be more than happy to be a spiritual director for you. Or if you don’t feel comfortable doing that, someone else who is in tune with their spiritual side would be more than happy to help you. All you have to do is ask!