I dislike the presence of unread emails in my inbox. I appraise my days by what I accomplish. My understanding of my identity is all too often associated with my work. The Enneagram tells me I am an achiever; StrengthsFinder tells me the same. The achiever label comes with its own set of blessings and curses. Among the many blessings, this strong internal drive can be channeled for many beautiful contributions to the common good. Among the many curses, my motivation for achievement is entangled with a toxic appetite for the approval of others. I hold these in tension. I know these things to be true. In some ways a college campus can be a difficult place to slow down; schedules have little margin or unclaimed territory. On the other hand, the college campus should be precisely the place to slow down. Inundated with input and captive to consumption, a slow, quiet moment can be a powerful antidote to our hurried lives. If this is true of the whole of the student experience, it is perhaps even more pertinent to the unchartered waters of career and calling. While we want to envision our career paths as a grit-fueled progression up and to the right, the reality is that matters of calling and the work of our hands are never that simple. We have action to take to be sure. Finding meaningful work often means engaging our imaginations, a readiness for risk, steady participation in community, and a pursuit of the truth about ourselves and the world around us. Even so, such action may be misguided if not rooted in a slow, abiding, manner that values the journey as much as the destination. While these platitudes sound nice in theory, there is admittedly a deficit of practice. To that end, I’m committed to some practices—both for myself and the Calling and Career Office—that will hopefully place some yield signs along the autobahn we know as the academic year. Among the practices are scheduled times for reflection, prayer, creativity, and conversations. These “slow” practices will be embedded in my schedule and encouraged for my colleagues and student-team. If I am really committed to developing our students to live a faithful response to God’s call, I am convinced that I have to lead a slower life. As a matter of confession, I checked my email and twitter feed at least twice while writing this—like clay in the potter’s hands, this may take a while.
All the best,
Jeff Aupperle
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