“In calling me to live my special qualities and characteristics, God planted deep in myself an original purpose—what my concrete self ‘adds up to’ and to live out.”
-St. Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Jesuits and First Career Coach
“In calling me to live my special qualities and characteristics, God planted deep in myself an original purpose—what my concrete self ‘adds up to’ and to live out.”When a friend shared this Ignatius of Loyola quote with me, I knew I had found the perfect link between vocation and career planning. “Original purpose” is that elusive call we feel deep in our soul. Thomas Merton calls it “obscure.” Discerning “what my concrete self adds up to” is career assessment/planning plain and simple. Finding the language to best describe our interests, skills and values and how they contribute to an organization is the central task we all face in career/retirement/ministry transition. Ignatius knew that in the middle ages!