‘The sun has one kind of splendour, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendour.’ 1 Corinthians 15:41
I love this verse as it highlights how we are all made to be different but special in our own way, with our own unique personality, gifts and abilities. Our mission is to first find out what we are fantastic at, what we love to do, what energises us, motivates us, gets us really excited – and then secondly to put all our energy into it and shine! That’s fulfilling our purpose. Unfortunately from an early age we are often steered by parents, teachers and peers to do certain things, study certain subjects and we end up in certain careers, motivated by false goals like money, recognition, acceptance and so on. I wonder how many of us are really doing what we were really put on earth to be doing; using our talents to the full? I believe if we are doing ‘just that’, it should feel ‘just right’ like the perfect fit of the piece in the puzzle. It is totally in line with the values we have and the person we are.
Of course the other side of the argument is, with the right attitude and focusing on the good things, we can make every job fulfilling and fitting to who we are. While I do think there is an element of truth in that, I still believe that since we are all different, we are more suited to some types of work than others. Knowing our gifts and abilities is the key – that requires more inner reflection and listening to God and less looking to others and comparing to see what everyone else is doing or earning in order to fit in. After becoming a Mum and a Catholic, I am restarting my journey of reflection and discovery and this time not relying purely on my own analysis but by the grace of God I will be guided to do His will.
