Many people use the words “calling” and “passion” interchangeably. While they are related, they do not mean the same thing. The best way to explain the difference between calling and passion comes from an article by Pooja Khare, who describes it in the following way: “Calling is something that you are born to do. Passion is the path or skill that supports you to attain your calling.”
The Big Picture
Let’s say that you grew up singing in a church choir where people in the congregation said you had a strong voice for a young person. Others knew you in school as the one with the great voice, and you even sang the National Anthem at a few local sporting events. People as far back as you can remember have complimented your singing, and some even teased that you sing more than you talk.
Your enjoyment of singing and the audience feedback leads you to believe that your calling is to be a famous singer, so you plan to be famous along the lines of Jennifer Lopez or Beyonce. When American Idol comes to your town, you decide to audition. You wait in line for 6 hours to meet with producers, and after about 30 seconds of singing, they say, “Thank you. Next!”
“What?” you think.
Maybe you just weren’t what they were looking for, so you decide to approach it from a different angle. Instead of being Beyonce, you think about auditioning to become one of her backup singers. After all, Sheryl Crow was a backup singer for Michael Jackson at the beginning of her career, and Gwen Stefani was first hired as the backup singer for No Doubt.
So — with head held high, you make your way to Hollywood. After singing for every producer who will listen, you get no favorable response and decide it’s time to go home — without a job.
Perhaps you don’t have a pop music voice or the right look; so this time, you book a trip to New York to attend an open call audition for Broadway chorus singers. It’s not glamorous, but you’re on stage and will start to get to know the right people. As it turns out, you can’t even make it through the first round of cuts.
Now what?
The Reality
How did your small town’s greatest singer meet such rejection in the real world? As you’ve learned, every small town has its greatest singer, and you didn’t match up against them.
So, is your calling dead? No. You simply have to revise it. You have to face that your voice is not going to make you millions of dollars and earn you the cheers of millions of fans. “Wait!” you say, “That’s not what I was doing it for. I just like making people happy when I sing.”
Boom! There’s your calling — making people happy with your voice.
Singing is your passion, but your calling is to make people happy with that passion. Since you won’t be making it to any of the big stages, what’s next? How about checking out the community musical theater scene? Are there any local bands who need a lead vocalist, or do you have the organizational skills to put one together? What about volunteering to entertain the residents at local nursing homes and assisted living facilities? You could keep a very busy schedule with all of the singing opportunities that are around you.
Passion May Hold You Back
Research urges people to learn the difference between what their calling is and what their passion may be. Most of the data agree that mantras like “Follow Your Passion” set people up for failure because no matter how hard some try, they may never achieve their passion. However — they can all achieve their calling.
When I sit with my clients, I ask them what they want out of life. Usually, they start by telling me things that fall into the passion category. I have to quickly stop them because it almost sounds like a Christmas list. There’s nothing wrong with having a list, especially when you are able to achieve your passion; however, not reaching your exact passion can hold you back if you continually pine for it. What does that look like?
You let the constant want touch your soul, heart and mind so much that you quit striving altogether.
You stop looking at other ways to use your passion, blocking yourself from finding your calling, and keeping yourself from feeling fulfilled.
It’s best to craft a list with alternatives in mind to avoid disappointment and the feelings of defeat.
Keep Your Options Open
You may be surprised to learn that Beyonce loves working with older adults after singing to them, or that Jennifer Lopez discovered she’d rather play drums in a band than be the lead singer in one. Your passion can be as much of a roadblock as a gift, but you never know where your calling will take you.
If you find that you’re having trouble differentiating between your calling and your passion, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line. We’ll work on figuring it out together.