We are all called to greatness, to be something special. Therefore, whatever vocation we are called to should be treated as something to be sought out, not something we settle for. Furthermore, nobody has the right to tell us "don't wait too long" for the simple reason that we are not waiting. If our lives do not appear to be successful, it's not for a lack of trying. And our trying and failing does not make us inferior either. We all find our vocation in God's time, not man's time. It's about finding our way, not about how quickly we find our way, and not about how we compare to other people our age. The details of how we ran the race do not matter if we all cross the finish line at the right time.
If you are in position to tell someone about what their vocation might be, focus on what they are good at, not on what they have failed to prove about themselves so far. The latter approach will only make them feel insecure, misunderstood, alienated, antagonized, and hostile. One's vocation is something to be sought out, not settled for. If someone feels that they know their vocation but just have not had any positive signs as of yet, that does not mean that they are automatically wrong. After all, faith is about believing without proof or evidence.
Most of us are not destined to live a life of glamour nor are we very likely to be remembered as some sort of legend. We are certainly not likely to represent the culmination of a number of prophecies in the Old Testament. Although John the Baptist was mentioned (albeit not by name) in at least one Old Testament prophecy, even he did not represent the culmination of any of them. Nevertheless, when his father, Zechariah, told John about his purpose in life, Zechariah focused on what was going to make John great rather than dwelling on the fact that John was not the Saviour. He encouraged John by telling him what he was rather than discouraging him by telling him what he was not.
So if anyone tells you "maybe you're not called to marriage" or "maybe you're not called to the priesthood" or "maybe you're not called to religious life" or "you don't have what it takes to make it in the business/real estate/law/financial management world," don't listen to them! They have no right to put you down like that! And if you are in pursuit of a vocation but have not produced tangible results lately, that does not give anyone the right to mock you by saying "how's that working out for you?" Your vocation is your business, not theirs. They need to get a life and quit being so nosy and condescending.
Finally, if you feel that you are called to something, don't let anyone tell you that such a vocation or career is "wrong," no matter what "evidence" they provide as proof. We all have different gifts and every vocation is important. You may not know the reason why you feel called to something but you should trust your own intuition over the opinions of those who try to discourage you. They have their own agenda and may be difficult to argue with but they do not know you the way you know yourself, no matter who they are. They also might not care about you nearly as much as they pretend to. Giving up on a dream without even trying it out is a terrible thing to do because then you are left with nothing but a false sense of self. We are all called to greatness - thus we should see to it that we answer that call.
Luke 1: 67-79
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