When You Don't Know Who You Are Anymore
Research shows that people who have a sense of calling are more productive, motivated, and resilient than their peers. But they are also more likely to experience the physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion of burnout. When they do, the impact is more severe and disorienting. Burnout often starts from something very good: a passionate commitment to meaningful work and the skill to make it a reality. But the dark side of calling is that passion and skill without boundaries are like matches to a dry forest, at risk for devastating destruction.
How can we pursue our callings while managing our risk for burnout? Communication and workplace expert Arianna Molloy explores the nature of a healthy calling and the surprising key to unlocking a more sustainable approach. Humility is essential to a healthy calling, one that involves knowing yourself well, being teachable, and embracing the vulnerability of consistently taking time to rest and reflect. Molloy identifies essential practices and disciplines to recalibrate your calling and transform your work, relationships, and life.
You don't have to feel stuck and alone, disoriented in the dark. Let the Caller turn on the lights and return you to health.
"Arianna Molloy's Healthy Calling shines as a beacon of light for those lost in burnout's darkness. Through her profound insights and practical strategies, Molloy guides readers on a transformative journey from despair to hope, from exhaustion to renewal. This book is essential reading for anyone seeking true fulfillment in their work."
"By bringing humility to a working world driven by achievement, urgency, and overwhelming demands, Dr. Arianna Molloy reminds her readers of the only satisfaction that can truly last. Dr. Molloy's insightful book Healthy Calling offers a timely and powerful reminder that anything that is not God is an idol and that we glorify God best when we rest in him first. Dr. Molloy's refreshingly honest wisdom and informed compassion lead us to a renewed, deeper, and sustainable joy in the good work for our good God that we have each been truly called to do."
"Arianna Molloy addresses a critical issue few works on calling explore—the danger of allowing passion for work to lead to exhaustion and burnout. As she uncovers the darker side of calling, Molloy steers readers toward biblical insight and practical action that restore a healthier experience of vocation. I wish this book had been written earlier in my career! Highly recommended for anyone flirting with burnout in their current role."
"It's a beautiful thing to have a calling and not just a career . . . to feel as if every time the paycheck hits your account, you're robbing the bank because it doesn't feel like work. But it's also a dangerous place to be, and don't I know it. When what you do is what you love, it's more than easy to transgress boundaries and freefall into burnout and even shame. What then? In Healthy Calling, Dr. Arianna Molloy gives us much needed guidance. This will be a book I return to time and again."
"The culture sugarcoats and oversimplifies work as a calling with 'live your bliss' and 'do what you love' mantras. The truth is far more complex and so much richer. In Healthy Calling, Arianna Molloy explores this reality thoughtfully, rigorously, and personally. With deep humility and great clarity, she offers a fresh, grounded, eminently practical perspective on living a calling in the real world. I couldn't put it down, and I can't recommend it highly enough."
"Arianna Molloy has done more than write a professional, practical, and personal book on what it means to be truly called to a job and a career, all the while managing the burnout that plagues so many. Healthy Calling is an exceptional road map for pursuing your callings in healthy and sustainable ways by developing a dynamic relationship with the Caller. Whether you are a student or a seasoned professional, Dr. Molloy's thoughtful research and experience will provide the confidence you need to live a life of humility and gratitude as you pursue the callings God has given you."
"Healthy Calling is an essential read for our times. Arianna has her finger on the pulse of this cultural moment, offering profound insights into the challenges we face in our work lives today. I found myself reading with a highlighter in hand, marking passage after passage of wisdom. What sets this book apart is how Arianna masterfully blends rigorous academic research with actionable, practical advice. Healthy Calling isn't just a guide—it's a lifeline for anyone seeking to transform their work from a source of stress into a sustainable vocation."
CONTENTS
Introduction: The Path to Burnout and Why It Matters
Part 1: The Terrain of Burnout
1. The Toxic Relationship Between Burnout and Calling
2. Chronic Stress and the Deadly Duo of Workaholism and Job Idolization
Part 2: The Linchpin of Calling
3. The Three Cs in Calling's Relational Core
4. The Misunderstood and Underrepresented Role of Humility
5. Practicing Healthy Humility
Part 3: The Way Forward
6. Boundary Shaming and Boundary Resilience
7. Oil and Frames
8. The Way Forward
Acknowledgments
Notes
