Bernie Anderson

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Vocation Transcends

“What do you do?”

I remember being asked this shortly after taking on my first “adult job” after marriage. The environment was one of pretense, so I was a little embarrassed to say, “Well, I work in a supply warehouse for a chemical company. I mostly sort pipe fittings and safety gear.”

So, seriously. What do you do?

None of us would respond, “Well, I answer emails, voicemail, and instant messages on Slack.”

But boiled down, that’s what many of us spend a huge portion of our time doing.

But your vocation isn’t your physical activity. It’s not even necessarily your job title.
Customer service manager.
Consultant.
Barista.
Lawyer.
Nurse.
Shipping and receiving clerk.
Street Muscician.

These are titles.

Vocation transcends title, task, and occupation.

“What do you do?” It’s not the right question.

How do you best bring value to the world?

That’s a much better place to start.