The third sign is fitness, by which I mean the ability to live a religious life, to live comfortably, cheerfully and generously, without going to pieces or without a constant drain on your inner resources or without a whole lot of tensions. Somehow the life itself must suit you and you must suit the life so that you aren't paying a horribly high price just to stay in. Somehow there must be a meshing of your interests and ability and competency with those of the religious life. Both must go together and blend a bit into each other. Lots of people, very good people, have tried the life but found they just didn't fit in - they couldn't live it. Some people are just not cut out for it anymore than some people can't teach or be airline pilots or engineer* or salesmen or what not. Religious life just doesn't suit some people - they haven't got the skills or the ability to handle the job. They are very happy and very good in some other vocation. Again, God does not dc violence to the person. He respects the individual gifts of each person.

Likewise, there are a lot of people who are fit for the religious life, but don't want it -they are not attracted to it. A lot of married friends or your sisters and brothers could live religious life but they are not drawn to it. The desire is not there but the fitness is. All three requirements have to be there at the same time. So by a positive sense of fitness, I mean the ability to live the life comfortably, cheerfully generously and graciously, without undue drain on your personality. Do you think any of these signs apply to you?