Vision, Vocation, & Vitality

In our last reflection, we talked about how passion, purpose, and pursuit give life its flavor. But passion alone fizzles when it doesn’t have direction. That is where vision, vocation, and vitality step in. Vision points us toward where passion should go. Vocation reminds us that our gifts are not random but part of a calling. Vitality keeps us steady enough to finish what we start.

Working with PGA Members, I have seen how careers can lose definition. One Member told me it felt like running hard without knowing if the finish line was on the same course. Another said he had all the energy in the world, but no clarity on where that energy was taking him. When vision fades, pursuit turns into exhaustion. Scripture says the same thing. Proverbs 29:18 not only warns us that “where there is no vision, the people also perish.” It also reminds us that vision creates focus. It steadies us when circumstances shift, and distractions try to take over.

History gives us a clear example in Abraham Lincoln. He was not trying only to stop a war. He was trying to preserve a union that could endure. His vocation was rooted in responsibility rather than ambition. His vitality, emotional and spiritual, was tested every single day. Vision did not make the task easy, but it gave him a target worth suffering for.

Sneakers offer a modern example. Every release starts with a concept, a story, and a plan. Even before a pair hits shelves, people already know what it represents. Chicago represents swagger. UNC represents roots. Concord represents defiance. That clarity of vision fuels the pursuit. People line up outside in the cold or spend thousands on resale not because of rubber and leather, but because they see meaning stitched into every detail. Vision creates value and value shapes sacrifice. Life works the same way. When we see clearly, we know what is worth giving up.

At home, this idea becomes real. My wife sees things in people that I do not always pick up on. Her clarity sharpens my vision when mine gets cloudy. That is mentorship taking place right in my own house. And my kids remind me every day that my vocation is not only professional. My calling is not just to consult or lead or write. It is to raise them in faith, humility, and joy. That responsibility does not drain vitality. It deepens it. Family is not a distraction from calling. It is the center of it.

Vitality is more than raw energy. It is resilience of body, spirit, and relationships. I have watched leaders burn out not because they lacked talent, but because they neglected vitality. They pushed through 70-hour weeks, skipped family dinners, and ignored rest. They had vision, but not the strength to carry it. The healthiest leaders I know pay attention to rhythms. Exercise, prayer, laughter, and time with people who matter. Vitality does not just keep you going. It keeps you grounded.

Here is the truth I keep coming back to:

• Vision without vocation feels hollow.

• Vocation without vitality cannot last.

• Vitality without vision drifts and eventually stops.

Try This (Before the Holidays)

1. Work: Write your clearest vision for your facility or role in one sentence.

2. Home: Ask your spouse or those closest to you what they see most clearly that you sometimes miss. Do not defend. Just listen.

3. Mentorship: Share with someone younger in the profession how you discovered your calling instead of simply listing steps of your career path.

4. Leadership: Check in on your team’s vitality. Are they sprinting toward burnout or pacing for long-term impact?

5. Personal audit: Ask yourself honestly whether your current pursuit is aligned with your calling or whether you are simply running hard.

My Commitment

As we step into this season, I am recommitting to keep vocation at the center. My calling is not only to help PGA Members polish résumés or map career paths. It is to remind them that their work matters because their lives matter. At home, it means showing my kids that work and faith do not compete with one another. They strengthen each other. With my wife, it means listening to her clarity and drawing strength from her wisdom.

Happy Thanksgiving. May your vision be clear, your vocation steady, and your vitality renewed. May gratitude add fuel to every step of your pursuit.

Next time, we will look at sacrifice, saving, and significance and how giving ourselves away multiplies fruit in places we never saw coming.