My favorite quote from Parker's article, http://www.explorefaith.org/palmer/chp2_9.html is "Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic self-hood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be." In today's society, we are often so focused on what we "should" be doing and what we "should" be when we grow up, often based on what others think we should be, instead of appreciating ourselves and our life as we are. In my mission statement, I wrote that a big part of my mission in life is to be content with who I am. I believe that asking myself "Who am I?" instead "Who should I be?" just as Parker suggested will help me to achieve happiness throughout my life. I believe that vocation should not be a career path or a way of life that we are forced into. For example, even if we are born into a family of Catholics, we should not consider ourselves truly "Catholic" and faithful until we truly believe in Catholicism and feel strong in our faith. A vocation should be something we choose because we know it is best for our happiness, faith, and contentment. A vocation should be a calling we feel drawn to, not a career or way of life we choose simply because someone else wants us to or we think we will impress others through it. Although a vocation as a priest is impressive to many, not all people are meant to be priests. Likewise, although a career as a doctor is impressive, not all people should strive to be doctors because they would not be happy in that career. I believe that Parker is correct in saying that our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic self-hood because we cannot be truly successful or happy in life unless we are content with ourselves, our beliefs, and our vocation. I believe that success is not always achieved through a demanding career, a religion we are born into, or the money that we inherit. Instead, success is achieved by being content with who we are, feeling strong about our faith, and appreciating the life that God has given to us. I agree with Parker because I believe that if we appreciate our lives and ourselves as we are instead of always searching for something more, we will finally feel content with our life and our vocation.