--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can not choose your calling. Your…" description: "\"“You can not choose your calling. Your calling chooses you.”\" — Shannon Alder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdc/shannon-alder-9851_calling_you-can-not-choose-your-calling-your-cal_623654.jpg" --- # You can not choose your calling. Your calling chooses you. ![“You can not choose your calling. Your calling chooses you.” quote by Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdc/shannon-alder-9851_calling_you-can-not-choose-your-calling-your-cal_623654.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdc/shannon-alder-9851_calling_you-can-not-choose-your-calling-your-cal_623654.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdc/shannon-alder-9851_calling_you-can-not-choose-your-calling-your-cal_623654.jpg) > ““You can not choose your calling. Your calling chooses you.”” [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Your vocation finds you; you cannot select it, but it selects you. **In simple terms:** Calling chooses you. Key Takeaway Listen for signs that guide your path. Themes purpose career destiny Mood inspirational thoughtful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career counseling - personal development - creative pursuits Key Concepts self‑discovery inner calling life direction Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate your true calling? - How can you respond when a calling appears unexpectedly? A Different Perspective May lead to feeling trapped if ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Calling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calling/) [Calling Calling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calling-calling-1113276/) [Calling Chooses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calling-chooses-5041685/) [Callings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/callings/) [Choose Calling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose-calling-5041684/) [Chooses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chooses/) [Life purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-purpose/) [Life-missions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-missions/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) ## Related quotes > [People don't choose their calling, it chooses them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-leider/people-don-t-choose-their-calling-it-chooses-them/) [Richard Leider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-leider/) > [“Ah, God, it were an easy Matter to choose a Calling had one all Time to live in! I should be fifty Years a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/ah-god-it-were-an-easy-matter-to-choose-a-calling-had-one-all-time-to/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [“Often the inspiration to write music comes from the voices in your head. You’re not crazy. Just be thankful they are not making you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/often-the-inspiration-to-write-music-comes-from-the-voices-in-your/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [“Life isn't worth living if you're not fighting for something. A lost cause is a life mission worthy of pursuit just to prove them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/life-isn-t-worth-living-if-you-re-not-fighting-for-something-a-lost/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/carve-your-name-on-hearts-not-tombstones-a-legacy-is-etched-into-the/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [“Life has a way of taking you past your wants and hopes. Instead, it drops you in front of what you need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/life-has-a-way-of-taking-you-past-your-wants-and-hopes-instead-it/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [I think as Christians, we all have the same calling, and that calling is to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/i-think-as-christians-we-all-have-the-same-calling-and-that-calling/) [LeCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [Our deepest calling is not to grow in our knowledge of God. It is to make disciples. 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This is your Calling.” “My Calling?” I repeated incredulously. “The hell it is.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-scardoni/jemma-he-interceded-this-is-what-you-were-born-to-do-this-is-your/) [Bianca Scardoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-scardoni/) > [Those of us who are in this world to educate-to care for-young children have a special calling: a calling that has very little to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/those-of-us-who-are-in-this-world-to-educate-to-care-for-young/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [(In your callings) you have access to more than your natural capacities, and you do not work alone. The Lord will magnify what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/in-your-callings-you-have-access-to-more-than-your-natural-capacities/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Callings in the church, as important as they are, by their very nature are only for a period of time, and then an appropriate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/callings-in-the-church-as-important-as-they-are-by-their-very-nature/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [“You are here on earth to fulfill a specific purpose. May you recognised your calling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laillah-gifty-akita/you-are-here-on-earth-to-fulfill-a-specific-purpose-may-you/) [Laillah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laillah-gifty-akita/) ## More by Shannon Alder > [“Life doesn’t happen to you, but for you. Lessons can be found in everyone’s story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/life-doesn-t-happen-to-you-but-for-you-lessons-can-be-found-in/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [“The God I believe in believes in me and won’t silence my heart or others based on a paycheck at the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/the-god-i-believe-in-believes-in-me-and-won-t-silence-my-heart-or/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [“Defensiveness is usually someone silently screaming that they need you to value and respect them in disguise. When you look for deeper meanings behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/defensiveness-is-usually-someone-silently-screaming-that-they-need/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [“There are no coincidences in life. 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If he couldn’t see your worth at the moment you met then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/never-rearrange-your-life-in-order-to-meet-mr-darcy-half-way-if-he/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [“Before you can live a part of you has to die. You have to let go of what could have been, how you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/before-you-can-live-a-part-of-you-has-to-die-you-have-to-let-go-of/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [“To be a follower of Christ and not just a fan means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/to-be-a-follower-of-christ-and-not-just-a-fan-means-to-forgive-the/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [“All death reminds us that nothing is promised, only that life was worth it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/all-death-reminds-us-that-nothing-is-promised-only-that-life-was/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [“They say time heals and makes us forget, but what two people shared can never be erased.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/they-say-time-heals-and-makes-us-forget-but-what-two-people-shared/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [“Often the inspiration to write music comes from the voices in your head. You’re not crazy. Just be thankful they are not making you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/often-the-inspiration-to-write-music-comes-from-the-voices-in-your/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [“The most introspective of hearts tends to be the most sentimental. We cling to the smallest moments from our past because we fear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/the-most-introspective-of-hearts-tends-to-be-the-most-sentimental-we/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) [Explore all 69 Shannon Alder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) ## More Calling quotes > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“The power of imagination is strongest in the place of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-power-of-imagination-is-strongest-in-the-place-of-solitude/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [When you heed the calling of your heart, you are following your purpose. Having purpose in your life gives you the courage to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-britten/when-you-heed-the-calling-of-your-heart-you-are-following-your/) [Rhonda Britten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-britten/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/there-s-no-greatest-moment-in-the-arts-it-s-a-life-it-s-a-continuity/) [LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/) > [“Duty is a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/duty-is-a-done-deal/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [NBC is making a movie about Martha Stewart that will cover the recent stock scandal. They are thinking of calling it 'The Road To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/nbc-is-making-a-movie-about-martha-stewart-that-will-cover-the-recent/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [“There is no interaction without God with interaction with men”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/there-is-no-interaction-without-god-with-interaction-with-men/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [When I was a little boy, I was reading Dante and I was saying to myself 'Bravo, Dante, Bravo.' It's so beautiful, the music,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-benigni/when-i-was-a-little-boy-i-was-reading-dante-and-i-was-saying-to/) [Roberto Benigni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-benigni/) > [ I don't see \[ Trainspotting \] as an albatross, I see it more as a calling card. It's got me out to Hollywood, I've… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-don-t-see-trainspotting-as-an-albatross-i-see-it-more-as-a-calling/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [After I finished college, I got a job on Wall Street as a derivatives trader, but after a couple years of it, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/after-i-finished-college-i-got-a-job-on-wall-street-as-a-derivatives/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [\*Calling someone I don't want to answer\* \*Please go to voice mail. Please go to voice mail. Please go to voice mail..\* Hello? -\_\_\_-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/calling-someone-i-don-t-want-to-answer-please-go-to-voice-mail-please/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Sometimes you hear a voice through the door calling you... This turning toward what you deeply love saves you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/sometimes-you-hear-a-voice-through-the-door-calling-you-this-turning/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Please be slow to judge ‘brothers’ who have a different calling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/please-be-slow-to-judge-brothers-who-have-a-different-calling/) [Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/) [Browse all 3,811 Calling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calling/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You can not choose your calling. 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