How many CVs do you have? If you’ve applied for a variety of jobs you probably have several, tailored to your prospective employers. I expect you put them in different formats - chronological, skills based, or a hybrid. What they all have in common is what you can do.
But what’s on the CV that other people have on you - the one that reflects who you are - your character CV?
It’s the combination of evidence on these two records of your life impact that will give us the focus of the last facet of a thriving life - a life of impact.
A great way to bring the two together is through my version of the popular and well-known Ikigai concept. Whilst the general shape of Ikigai is tried and trusted, I found that aspects of it didn’t resonate that well with some of my clients. So I re-worked the concept to meet my own audience - Hereditas. I wonder how you would re-frame it for yours.
The four areas I chose around which to explore life direction and impact are these - passions, partners, powers and persistence. The first three of these are focused on what we do - our achievement CV - and the fourth brings into clearer focus the people we are (and are becoming) - our character CV.
Building our character CV requires particular strengths. In my last podcast I explored the cardinal virtues (strengths) of fortitude, temperance, justice, wisdom. Here I complete the set with the theological virtues of faith, hope and love.
Hereditas provides a framework for giving shape to a thriving life, starting with us. There is an alternative. That is to adopt an existing vision of a thriving life and to make that as your centre.
To where are you looking to build your own centre for a life which can go well, feel good, be lived well, and make an impact?
In all my work, these are the most foundational of all the questions I confront. I wish you every success in finding answers which lead to a credible, sustainable, and universally applicable vision of a life worth living.
Resources
For the Life of the World: Theology that makes a difference Miroslav Volf and Matthew Croasmun
The Gospel of Happiness, How Secular Psychology Points to the Wisdom of Christian Practice Christopher Kazcor