Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life

by Gregg Levoy

How do we know if we're following our true callings? How do we sharpen our senses to cut through the distractions of everyday reality and hear the calls that are beckoning us?

is the first book to examine the many kinds of calls we receive and the great variety of channels through which they come to us. A calling may be to do something (change careers, go back to school, have a child) or to be something (more creative, less judgmental, more loving). While honoring a calling's essential mystery, this book also guides readers to ask and answer the fundamental questions that arise from any How do we recognize it? How do we distinguish the true call from the siren song? How do we handle our resistance to a call? What happens when we say yes? What happens when we say no?

Drawing on the hard-won wisdom and powerful stories of people who have followed their own calls, Gregg Levoy shows us the many ways to translate a calling into action. In a style that is poetic, exuberant, and keenly insightful, he presents an illuminating and ultimately practical inquiry into how we listen and respond to our calls, whether at work or at home, in our relationships or in service. Callings is a compassionate guide to discovering your own callings and negotiating the tight passages to personal power and authenticity.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Philosophy, Psychology, Personal Development, Leadership

329 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book back in the late '90s and have proceeded to read it at least once a year annually since then. I am now on my fourth copy, having read two copies to tatters and loaned out a third to a good friend (who is undoubtedly affected enough by the material for me to not warrant asking for its return).

In paradoxically light yet profound way, "Callings" trolls the collective human consciousness for familiar and foreign concepts interwoven in history through such vehicles as fable, parable, mythology, spirituality, philosophy, and more that are meant to address such issues as:
* The existence of transformative "callings" in life
* How to distinguish the "true call from the siren song"
* Learning to appreciate and act upon the smallest signs and calls for change
* Do we have any obligations with regard to callings? If so, what would/could be the consequences?

Moreover, the author is blessed with an intoxicatingly addictive writing style that pulls from international historical, spiritual, and contemporary sources to paint the prose with a rainbow of multi-sensory literary hues. The information herein appeals to humanity on a larger, higher level for it is a common navigational thread throughout all of recorded existence and one that transcends denominations, political parties and even commercialized pop thought. It provides an avenue to understanding and embracing the ubiquitous human question we all (typically silently) ask. Very insightful and masterly written, "Callings" is a call to action for the armchair life enthusiast in all of us and proffers a host of relevant and accessible thought trains that will simultaneously entertain, stimulate, and bless the reader's mind with enrichment.

[Brenda Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't "looking" for this book but saw it on a table many years ago at a large bookstore in Atlanta. This is simply one of the most influential and lovely non-fiction books I have read in my 46 years; I have recommended it to many others who have told me how special it was to them. Thank you Gregg Levoy.

[Dave Wysochanski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a special place in my heart and it's impacted my life in a signficant way. It all started when I met the author "by chance" in Asheville, NC last year.

At the time I was searching in my life and had travelled for a vacation to Asheville (my first time in Asheville actually). One evening I was in downtown and saw a group of people playing drums outside in the open air. One of the men playing seemed to stick out to me - somehow you could tell he had great passion for what he was doing. I noticed it immediately and for that reason he made an impression on me. Later that night I was in a coffee shop and looked up to see him sitting outside alone. I don't often get this feeling but something inside me compelled me to go talk to the guy. I introduced myself and told him a bit about my life, how I was searching, wondering about careers, passion in life, and that I had noticed when he played he did so with passion. We talked for a while and he mentioned that he was an author and had just written a book about people that have passion in their life, and people that don't. I was fascinated and before the weekend was over I had bought the book and started reading it.

The book is very thought-provoking, very deep. Often I will read just a few pages and feel I need to stop and really think about the meaning for my life.

I don't agree with all of the authors viewpoints, and at times the thoughts seem somewhat scattered and random. But in general it is a fantastic book, loaded with a lot of meaning and things to provoke thought. I would highly recommend it to anyone searching for clarity in their career or life. It provides an excellent resource for extracting the basic "themes" of one's life, and helps get to the crux of your values and beliefs.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book often with clients. Return to its poetry and clarity myself from time to time when moving into a new project.

[Caitlin H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I put this on my to-read even though, when it came time to read it, i was uncertain about it. I didn't know if it would be filled with out-of-date claims, or drivel that was never in date, so to speak. I thought maybe it would be too optimistic, too late '90s, too baby boomer for me to take seriously.

Thankfully, none of this turned out to be the case. Instead, the book is, on the whole, thoughtful, rich, & deep.

For example, Gregg Levoy doesn't advocate for throwing your job away, which usually seems to be the sentiment of most people who parrot "follow your bliss". This, aside from some Tweets recently, is the first time that i feel like i've seen this practicality. Some of us need a day job, if only for a while, but we're still practically made to feel like shit about it. Even though society might collapse if everyone who had a bliss or a dream went & followed it, we're still hearing that's what we should be doing, & that we're wasting something if we're not. And you could argue that Levoy is kind of on this side, & you wouldn't be entirely wrong. But i feel that Levoy is more concerned with what we ignore in our lives, what we sacrifice on the altar of practicality even when we could have a more fulfilling life.

Levoy goes through it all in this book, & he tells stories of others as well as himself to illuminate his points. You get to see his own foibles, which makes me feel more willing to hear what he has to say. He's no guru. He also struggles. He's not holier than thou, he's in life with everyone else. But he pays attention to things, & listens to people. He relates many stories throughout the course of Callings, & oftentimes, they begin with people holding themselves back somehow. They're people who have something that they want to do, but they push it off & away, saying they couldn't possibly do it. It's like pushing away food when you're incredibly hungry, while insisting you're not. Only once these people admit that they are hungry do their lives open up.

And i'm sure that there's still a healthy dose of '90s optimism. The book was published in 1997, after all. But Levoy doesn't make it sound like everything will easily fall into your lap once you say "yes" to a calling. Contrary to other modern "law of attraction" type things, Levoy lets you know that it will most likely be hard, that you'll have to work for it, that it won't be smooth. He actually counters a lot that gets parroted these days: if your path is smooth & straight, he says, that doesn't mean it's the right one. And vice versa, with a rough path, it doesn't mean it's the wrong one.

There were parts where the writing grew rough, like when the author meets a trans woman. Aside from his "holy shit" response, he misgenders her, using "he" as the pronoun. This was, thankfully, very brief. Although Levoy sounds sympathetic to the woman trying to live her life, it's still not taken care of so well. If you are queer, especially if you're trans, this could be incredibly jarring & mar the whole experience of the book for you.

Overall, this book was deeply impactful for me. I want to own a copy, I want other people to read it. It makes you want to reevaluate your life & priorities. It makes you thoughtful.

[Laurel]

This is one of the most helpful books I've read on vocation. Levoy is an elegant writer whose synthesis of mythology, religion, psychology, and well-chosen biographical vignettes calls readers to be attentive to the many ways in which calls manifest themselves (including dreams, synchronicity, and illness). He shows us how to clarify our callings through the use of art, journal-keeping, other memory work, and pilgrimage. Finally, he helps us to weigh the costs of following or ignoring a calling. I look forward to reading some of the books on his extensive bibliography. I do wish, however, that he had listed writing questions and exercises at the end of each chapter rather than embedding them within the text.

[Stephen Plank · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read for a counseling class and did not care for it since most of these people had already decided upon a life change and used things like canoeing the rapids to justify leaving husband and kids behind as a result of the adventure. Truthfully, there is no counseling here ... simply justification for making a life change that meant leaving responsibilities behind. Running away is not always the answer to a life challenge unless we are talking about the safety of self and others.

[Michael D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beginning a new venture? This may be the next 'right' book for you. Gregg is a Master of metaphor, and his writing is an immense pleasure to take in. Poetic. Poignant. Insightful. I've pulled more quotable statements out of this book than any other to date.

[Jacqueline Boss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Honest, emotional, and beautiful language.

Favorite quotes:

Saying yes to the calls tends to place you on a path that half of yourself thinks doesn't make a bit of sense, but the other half knows your life won't make sense without.
-4

Through some trial and error, I have discovered that often the best bait to use in luring a call is a little space.
-24

This is, of course, a lifetime's worth of work. It involves going through the psyche with a metal detector, flushing out those beliefs and behaviors that are not consonant with your integrity, and refusing to do business with them anymore.
-25

...all the greatest efforts... will yield nothing absolute... the real accomplishment, is building your house in full view of the volcano.
-32

At a party, I once overheard a stranger ask my twin brother, Ross, the requisite introductory question, "So what do you do?" After a brief silence, Ross replied, "When?"
-63

Then I tore the book to shreds with my bare hands. I broke the spine over my knee. I cracked the cardboard. I tore up every single page. Then I burned it in my fireplaces. It was an act that prompted my mother to declare that I was weird, though the experience proved to be remarkably liberating.
-84

Wherever our most primal fears reside- our fears of the dark, of death, of being devoured, of meaninglessness, of lovelessness, or of loss- chances are good that beneath them lie gems of wisdom and maybe a vision or a calling. Wherever you stumble... dig there.
-149

"...They ask questions, most frequently, 'I want to help the world. How can I plug in?' They often think they need to have big ideas, but I encourage them to start small, otherwise they can get a spiritual hernia."
This condition can assail anyone who goes at questions as if they were bench-pressing, who insists on answers with a kind of "gotta have it" attitude that tends to set up resistance and desperation in them...
-153

When your ship, long moored in harbor, gives you the illusion of being a house... put out to sea! Save your boat's journeying soul, and your own pilgrim soul, cost what it may.
-Archbishop Helder Camara

For instance, if we're frustrated with ourselves for not following a call, we often become frustrated with others who aren't following theirs, or envious of those who are.
-178

We don't actually have to move toward a calling to trigger a panic attack, either. Merely thinking about it will usually suffice.
-194

-Immediately turning a call into a Big Project, thereby intimidating yourself into paralysis.
-199

I threw the workaholic's version of a tantrum: I worked double time on the articles, hoping to steamroll the new calling, hoping to prove the worth of the status quo. This approach failed miserably.
-203

Although fearing power is kind of like fearing wealth, and it's a little hard to get sympathy...
-207

"All the time I'm not writing, I feel like a criminal," Fran Lebwoitz once said. "It's horrible to feel felonious every second of the day. It's much more relaxing actually to write."
-234

The move from employment to self-employment is one of life's dramatic thresholds, so I encourage people to offer an obedient bow to the gods of time and the hravest, and to give this transition the attention and patience it needs.
-253

No rule says you have to tackle a call in one jump. Nor does a call have a single right answer. A call asks us to create a response, and even a diminutive one is still saying yes. The point is to move toward it, however humbly.
-256

That, she said with great certainty, is what I saw.
I hung up feeling oddly disappointed, not in the cruelty of nature but in the cruelty of certitude. The knowing, that is, put an end to the wondering, which in many ways was far more entertaining and instructive. In it, there was room for imagination and discovery, for the quest implied in question.
-270

"Keep away from saying 'I will do X so that Y will happen,' so that I'll be happy, or make money, or be recognized. Cause-and-effect is the narrowest way of seeing the world, and your goals then become conditional."
-Deena Metzger, 271

Preparing for a sacrifice can be greatly abetted by the making of a ritual sacrifice, a symbolic surrender that has the psychic effect of turning over the soil in preparation for an actual sacrifice.
-272

If we only want to feast on the big ideas and the grand schemes and are unwilling to give our time and energies to seemingly small and limited tasks, to the thousands of baby steps needed to carry off our high concepts, then we will make little headway.
-278

Similarly, although our calls are our own, nowhere is it written that we must pursue them alone.
-285

... and the stability of place, of staying put somewhere for a spell, which gives us solid ground on which to pivot.
...the solace we reap from books
-286

We either do or we don't comprehend that a call asks us to have the patience of weavers and plowhands. Nonetheless we will sometimes find ourselves prowling back and forth like something caged, but the fate of all faith is that it will eventually be tested.
-321

She said that the more she loved him, the easier it became to consider losing him.
-323

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

The topic is intriguing, but it could have been written in about a third of the pages.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really beautiful stories and musings in this book, as well as some deeply personal reflections. A bit overlong, and the writing style is distracting at times.

[Rebecca Short, LMFT · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book on identifying and acting (or not) on personal callings. I had begun this book several times since I got it back in the late 90s but never finished it - obviously because I wasn't ready for it. But this time I relished it from cover to cover and gained much from it's words. Levoy helps the reader identify what a calling looks like and feels like and then provides the pros and cons of both accepting and denying a calling. This is not a book of magical thinking. It is a book of straight talk about what one gains and what one must lose in the acceptance of a calling and how that acceptance is an ongoing process that must be repeated as needed - one "yes" isn't enough. We must continue to say "yes" and continue to act and move forward in the direction of the calling even if it is only in the smallest of steps. I found it very enlightening and affirming in my own recognition and acceptance of my own calling. Highly recommended to the spiritual seeker.

[John G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books about calling and vocational discernment out there, the author writes with clarity, experience and sensitivity. He's not preachy or condescending in any way, this book heavily relies on the subjective, sorry no easy, set pat answers here for you or me. There's a lot of wisdom in this book, he's walked the walk and you can sense he's truly motivated to share with answers, he in fact, shines from one who has found his own calling. Highly recommend, it will bear repeated readings, but in the best of ways!

[Lucydad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very meaningful book for me suggested by Unity pastor to help discern real callings. Synchronicity occurred in many ways, including meditation guidance. I achieved clarity: choosing the right paths and avoiding one that was only mind, and no heart. Superbly written, and Levoy's use of metaphors is both accurate and entertaining. A beautiful effort, a true keeper and a valuable life resource.

[Len Edgerly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am one of the people profiled in this book, which makes me know the author did a very careful job of listening and getting it right concerning people who have made big leaps in their lives, based on a sense of calling. In my case, it was leaving a natural gas company to become a poet. This is a great book for finding tools to discern what's next in your heart and soul.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent for those of us looking at our next step.

[Another · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just did not find this book very accessible for some reason :(

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get out your highlighter - some great quotes and ideas to discuss with colleagues and friends.

[Richard Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Callings: Finding and Following Authentic Life may deserve a higher rating than a three because it contains several worthwhile gems that could help someone unhook themselves from whatever society compelled them to do and find their true calling. But the work Gregg Levoy asks us to do as readers to ferret those gems out gives me pause. It's a lengthy, overwritten tome that feels considerably longer than its 329-page count (and noticeably thin margins).

One of my favorite gems, in fact, is something I've taken to heart and already passed on to my children. Levoy rightly says it takes more effort to prevent yourself from following a calling than it does to follow one. For example, if you are an artist but never make time for art because you feel guilty about the time it would take away from more routine tasks, you could inadvertently expend more energy than if you just made time to do it. You could even be making yourself miserable and unhealthy.

This thought gem more than makes up for the price of admission, but not all of them do. Calling is primarily an extensive collection of short essays that consist of one part anecdotal life experience and one part historical wisdom that Levoy has chanced upon. These essays, in turn, are organized into an outline of sorts, roughly divided into removing barriers and being open; receiving calls through dreams, omens, and intuition; taking pilgrimages of sorts to find one's true direction; and knowing which calls to say no to and which to invite right into your life. After the essays, Levoy includes resources and bibliography as inspiration to keep the conversation going.

The first two parts read stronger than the final three, when it becomes a bit more of a slog of support essays that attempt to shore up some larger points. And some, like looking out for a mentor, feel like they could be better placed. It would have fit better in the beginning, perhaps one of those pilgrimages he mentions, as we've all experienced times when we've encountered the right teachers at the right times in our lives — often when we're trying to be receptive to our true calling.

Who knows? Maybe Levoy is one of those teachers for someone. There are times he comes across like a mentor, like when he writes something like: "A key is made for only one purpose. To fit a lock. Not just any lock. One lock. Anyone who feels made to do one particular thing in this world but is unable to do it becomes, in a sense, an unreconciled key." But then there are times that he digresses into something else: "In my sleep, when I dream of being chased, I'm sometimes aware that if only I could get myself to wake up, I'd be safe." He writes this to introduce the concept of an inner captain, but this particular essay muddles more than it provides clarity, like the key concept. Ergo, he would have done better saving the thought for another book.

So therein lies my struggle with this book. It does its job of examining the various kinds of calls we receive and how to act on them. But sometimes, the author gets lost in his calling as a storyteller, telling us things that just get in the way. Enough so, I might revisit the book with a highlighter to cut its content neatly in half or a third. And then, having done so, I would appreciate it all the more with less of it.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books, people, memes, text, songs, etc. have often come to me and touched my soul with reverence. They have made me pause and meditate on events that I've previously passed off as happenstance. Levoy tells us that these little serendipitous moments are not just chance but part of our calling. I questioned his context, but these chance meetings and encounters continue to happen, and as I read on I realized that what I've been running from is actually part of my destiny. It was great to hear that others run from their call too, but the smart ones step back and listen. He notes that synchronicities are events connected to one another not strictly by cause and effect, but by what in classical times were know as sympathies; the belief that an acausal affinity exits between events inside and outside ourselves -- a cross-talk between the conscious and unconscious, mind and matter, humanity and nature -- of which is governed by a certain species of gravity.

What is this 'calling'? Am I doing the most I possibly can with my life in answer to this calling? We won't know unless we venture outside of our comfort zone and answer the 'call'. If it scares you, we're probably on the right path. The louder the calling, the more energy you need to use to outshout it -- yes, I hear you (now let me get some rest)! In following it, 'we exercise the courage to leave behind what we have for what we don't, what we are for what we could be, and to take on challenges compared to which even depression and torpor might seem preferable.'

So, no more running … listen and act. We have all been called in some way or another.

' … if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear, it does make a sound. And if one lone person hears a calling and follows the heart, and then speaks out with honesty and conviction, in the truest voice they have, then however deep the forest, it, too, will make a sound.'

[Arabella · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just can't get behind a book that gives the example of a wife and a mother leaving her family as a "calling." It wasn't an abusive situation. She merely was stressed. She got some disease, probably from poor stress management, and "miraculously" was healed when she decided to "live" (aka leave behind a loving husband and her kids.) Although this book is very intellectually written, I don't believe it's a good basis on how to live your life. I also got conflicting messages when the author spoke of things that sounded like he supported the Christian faith, yet in the next paragraph was talking Greek Mythology and other religious beliefs. It's like he's confused, himself, about his own soul. At fist I thought it was because he was trying to be unbiased, but the wording has a conflicting connotation. No wonder, if he supports someone leaving their family. I can't bring myself to finish this book, after reading about the woman who left her family. If the other "examples" of people following their "call" in life are like that... I want no part in it. She stated that it was the "right" decision (leaving a family for any other reason besides abuse is NEVER the right decision!) The fact that he put her example in his book lead me to believe that he put his stamp of approval on it as well. I am a family oriented person. I would NEVER approve something as horrendous, self-centered, or vulgar as that! It's tragic that this book as so many high ratings. Normally I donate the books I read when I'm done (even the one's I don't like.) However, this one is going straight to the trash! In good conscience I cannot be the reason someone else reads this book. I love my family. If you love yours don't read this book!

[Heidi McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read Callings over 20 years ago, at a pivotal moment in my life. It was just before I quit my corporate job to start my own business. I was filled with uncertainty and fear, wondering if I was making the right decision. This book gave me the final push I needed, along with the confidence, to step into the unknown and fly without a net. It worked out better than I could’ve ever imagined, and I’m so glad I took that leap of faith.

Fast forward to today, and I find myself at another crossroads. After retiring from consulting practice three years ago, I’ve embarked on a new chapter: pursuing my lifelong dream of writing fiction novels. It’s been an exhilarating yet humbling journey, filled with both challenges and rewards.

That’s when I re-read this book that I kept on my shelf all these years. This time Callings validated my decision to follow my passion and inspired me to navigate the complexities of starting over. This book is a timeless guide for anyone seeking purpose and living an authentic life no matter where they are on their journey.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not get as much out of this book as I had thought I might. I was interested in the question of finding a calling but the book seemed more focused on hearing and responding to callings. I guess you could say learning how to "hear" your call is the same as "finding" your call but I think there is a distinction there that could have been delved into. I was also interested in stories of people finding their callings, and there are many anecdotes in this book but a lot of them seem to only tell a small piece of the person's story and I didn't feel like I was getting full stories of callings. In addition, this book felt quite dated at times to me reading it in 2020-2021. The story of the author meeting a trans person was especially cringe-y.

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a game changer for me. I had the privilege of listening to a class that Gregg did for a course I am taking and I rushed to buy the book right after.

This book is for anyone who is looking for, thinking they are having, or have decided on a calling. Not only does it give you practice ideas to put into thought and action but it also takes you out of hyper focus and allows you to open up to broader concepts and ideas about the universe.

My only recommendation would be to at least google the story from the Bible about Jonah and the Whale. This is NOT a religious book, however that particular story is mentioned numerous times. Don’t let that scare you away! Like I said this is not a religious book!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on this book. It brought me closer to knowing what I'm meant to do in life, helping me to arrive at a general type of work, but leaving to question only an exact occupation. It also helped me to realize that my biggest barrier in reaching this calling was my need to increase my courage. I am grateful for both of those. The reason I couldn't go higher than three stars though was because, in my opinion, a great many parts were dreadfully boring. I had to reread certain parts numerous times because I couldn't concentrate enough the first time through. A lot of the writing seemed more fanciful than necessary and not direct enough.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Levoy presents some thought-provoking insights into personal authenticity. His framing and underlying assumptions engage more than a little fuzzy, magical thinking and (for me) vague, non-meaningful religious connotations like soul and spiritual and related . I re-framed the squishy 'reality claims' about cause and effect, and their implications, in terms of my own provisional, as-if thinking and pressed ahead. I did get value from many of the introspection thought experiments and exercises though the book would have been clearer and more effective without the woo woo language and interpretations. Given the title, I wasn't surprised by the mystical lens.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent insights into exploring opportunities that may provide a deeper sense of fulfillment. A lot of anecdotes and recommendations for other authors or sources to consider in your discovery path. A good tool to help sharpen your senses about what may be right in front of you but is difficult to see and feel. It reminded me of the lines at the end of T.S. Eliot's poem "Little Gidding" We shall not cease from exploring and the end of all our exploring we be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

[Ryan Motter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good compendium source for many threads on what it means to be called. I enjoyed many of the anecdotes Levoy uses to undergird his points. That being said, this book is probably best for those who have the time to sit and dwell in all the various dimensions of calling. I found it overlong and I thought there was a lot of fat to trim. But this is a source I will turn to when doing personal reflection on calling.

[Jey Kalimuthu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me longer than I thought to get through this book, mainly because it gave so many things to think about. The central theme of the book is that we all have our callings, our life mission, that we are called from our inner voice to do. The story of Jonah from the bible underpins the entire book, and every chapter gave me multiple moments of pause and reflections.

Quite possibly the deepest book I’ve read this year.

[Wes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning! Levoy weaves mythology, literature, psychology, interviews, autobiography, and profound insights into this masterful work that will change the way you look at your life. The depth and breadth of his study, learning, and understanding is beyond almost anything I have ever encountered. I would truly and wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get to know herself/himself better.