Since much of my previous undergraduate and graduate course work were in church history, the material was naturally not entirely new to me. I soon discovered that these religious had more than a thing or two to teach me about the life of true discipleship. My spiritual directors' reply was quite helpful. Your renunciation will be different than that of a religious. This leads us to our next observation.
Renunciation can be either in spirit or in actuality.
Hence nothing hinders the state of perfection from being without renunciation of one's possessions, and the same applies to other outward practices. Each and every disciple of Jesus Christ then must either in spirit or actuality give up all that he owns. The call to renounce one's self, like the call to renounce possessions, is intended not just for the Religious, but for every would be follower of Jesus. Few aspects of the life of discipleship confront the spirit of our age more directly than this fundamental requirement to renounce ourselves. Many are they who began the Christian life in hopes of self-fulfillment, only to abandon the pursuit when it required of them, as it always does, self denial and crucifixion.