Liberal Art Studies - Essay Example

Augustine and the Professional The life experiences of Saint Augustine show that self-doubt and despair led him to question the life he was living. This self-doubt allowed him to be open to new values and religions and he was willing to accept life-transforming changes. Many of these significant changes were the result of personal tragedy. Similarly, a professional should be willing to question themselves and be open to suggestions. It could be effectively argued that this is how a professional improves in their field.

In regards to a career path, a professional should also be willing to accept life-transforming changes. This may include seeking new opportunities that are more fitting to the individual person and are able to make that individual more fulfilled as a person. After years of living his life according to the carnal pleasures of the body, Augustine felt there must be something more to life than the way he was living it. He thus began a quest for a more fulfilling life. Similarly, a more fulfilling career should always be the goal of the professional.

A better career often requires difficult changes, but a professional should be willing to make those changes in order to realize a better life. In addition to benefiting the individual, a more fulfilled person is better able to improve society as a whole. A modern professional’s career journey is similar to the spiritual journey of Augustine. A career does not always go according to plan. There are difficult problems to work through in nearly every job. There are also times when it is better for an individual to move on from a current job and obtain a better, more fulfilling job.

Like a spiritual journey, a professional is confronted with difficult situations which are often unpleasant. These situations often lead to changes and, although difficult, they can lead a professional to a better path in which they are able to grow as an individual as well as a professional. In this sense, a professional career and a spiritual quest both have the same end in mind; which is living a more fulfilled and happier life. References Augustine, St. Confessions. 397.