said, “and it was a gangly, imperfect, headlong kind of leap
at that. We felt strongly that it was time for a change, but our
decision to incorporate Burundi into that change was based
solely on the presence of an opportunity.”
The operative word in that last sentence is opportunity.
What the Carlsons were doing when they moved to Burundi
wasn’t just taking a blind leap of faith, nor was it executing
a carefully crafted plan with precision. Just like the day they
dropped off their son at school, it was a mix of both trust
and intention.
The “You Just Know”
Illusion
For the longest time, I believed a little lie about people who
were fulfilling their purpose, and it prevented me from
finding my own calling. What was it? One simple phrase:
you just know. When we find someone doing what they love
for a living, we tell ourselves a story. It’s a nice piece of
fiction, a familiar fairy tale, and a downright lie.
Here’s how it goes. How did you know you wanted to
be a fireman? What made you decide to go back to grad
school? How did you know this was your calling? I just
knew. This is what we hear from people who are too humble
to admit how hard they worked or are uncomfortable with