On Vocation
“One sign that I am violating my own nature in the name of nobility is a condition called burnout. Though usually regarded as the result of trying to give too much, burnout in my experience results from trying to give what I do not possess- the ultimate in giving too little! Burnout is a state of emptiness, to be sure, but it does not result from giving all I have: it merely reveals the nothingness from which I was trying to give in the first place.” - Parker Palmer, “Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation”
I feel these words deeply. In my bones. They poignantly capture my experience working for 20+ years in Corporate America across multiple companies and roles. In fact, when I was laid off in 2023, rather than sadness I felt immense relief that I could pause and be free of the malaise that had followed me for decades.
There is nothing objectively wrong with the consulting or marketing or HR roles that I was in for most of my career. Rather, what I’ve realized over the past ~2 years, is that none of those roles were right for me. Since starting at Wharton at 17, I had willed and analyzed my way into careers that didn’t quite fit me. Once I had no choice but to let it all go last year, I started to see who I have always been… and that noticing led me to the new and actually satisfying vocation of life coach.
“Vocation does not come from willfulness. It comes from listening. I must listen to my life and try to understand what it is truly about - quite apart from what I would like it to be about - or my life will never represent anything real in the world, no matter how earnest my intentions.” Parker Palmer, “Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation”
I could never have willed my way into being a life coach. In fact, until earlier this year, I was embarrassed to admit that I was training to become one. But I cannot deny that it has been satisfying in a way that I have never experienced before. It sometimes feels like a miracle to work in a capacity that is so aligned to my interests and skills. I had long ago stopped thinking it was possible!
Upon further inspection, my landing here wasn’t accidental or miraculous at all. I now see how much my life has been pointing me in this direction for years:
I’ve always preferred 1:1 friendships over groups, even as a young child
I have been interested in personal and spiritual growth for as long as I can remember
I feel safest when I know the inner workings of someone’s mind (chit chat makes me nervous!)
I crave meaning-making conversations that help me understand myself / others / the world better
I only read non-fiction books (mostly on psychology and sociology)
Being a coach is a vocation that has been calling me my whole life, and I’m so grateful I finally listened. What about you? What has your life been telling you that you haven’t yet been ready to hear? Or, if you’re one of the fortunate ones who has listened, how will you help your children do the same?
I would love to partner with you as a coach on these questions and more! Please reach out to me: hema.k.mehra@gmail.com.