"Nice to meet you. What's your major?"
"Animal Science."
"Cool, what do you want to do with that?"
"I have no idea...."
[Insert looks of doubt and judgement here.]
I'm pretty sure that I have had that conversation about 1000 times in the last two years. You meet someone new, you are trying to get to know them, and the dreaded 'What do you want to do with your life' question will undoubtedly come up. From parents to professors and friends to colleagues, it seems to be the pressing question in everyone's mind.
Even though I'm fairly certain that we ask that question out of habit more than anything, I'm a little bit tired of hearing it. So, I wanted to clear some things up:
1. I'm a millennial. Retirement is different for us. I have to pick a job that I am comfortable doing for the next sixty years, because, yes, I will probably be working until I'm 80.
2. Just because I have not put a title on my goal, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I may know exactly what type of work I want to do; I'm just not sure what companies are calling their 'genius inventor hero humanitarian' position these days.
3. Not knowing what I want to do does not make me any less motivated or driven than the students who know exactly what they want to do.
4. My deep-seated hatred of that question has less to do with the fact that I don't know what I want to do, and more to do with the fact that I think we're asking the wrong question.
Growing up, my parents never really cared about what we wanted to do specifically, so long as we wanted to do something. They cared more about the type of people that we would become instead of what job we would be doing when we got older. You see, the truth is doctors and lawyers are extremely important, but so are garbage men. CEO's are needed, but so are secretaries. It takes all kinds of kinds to make the world go 'round. At the end of the day, what really matters isn't what job we do, it's how we do it and what type of character we display. Jesus was a carpenter. Hitler was a politician. So maybe the question we should be asking isn't 'What are you going to do?' it's 'Who are you going to be?'So, who are you going to be? For me personally, I have decided to be these four things.
1. Christ-like: During Jesus's time on Earth, He was kind, but firm. He was bold, yet gentle. Most importantly, He was loving. He loved every single person He came into contact with. Whether they were a leper or a king, Jesus loved them fiercely. He also instructed us to love. It's important to note that Jesus did not say love them unless they were homosexual, pro-choice, or a different religion. He didn't say love them unless they drank on Friday night, made mistakes, or were different from you. He just said love them, and love them the best way you know how.
2. Resilient: These days, everywhere you turn you can find a 'secret' to success. Everyone has a magic plan or a shortcut. So many people believe that they have figured out how to make you successful in whatever you want to do, whether it's career success, weight loss, or any other journey. This is the real secret: resiliency. No one in this life is free from heartache, grief, or failure. The difference in people that are successful and people who aren't is the ability to bounce back. The road does not lead to either success OR failure. The road to success is hindered by roadblocks called failure. Successful people recognize this. They take the time to grieve and heal. Then, they pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and get back at it. They settle for nothing less than what they desire, and nothing will stop them. Success is a process. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
3. Graceful: I debated for awhile on what to call this trait. I considered elegant and humble, but finally graceful won. Graceful embodies both the characteristics of elegant and humble. To be graceful is to be modest. It is to be sure of oneself without ever needing to impose on anyone else's confidence. To be graceful, is to accept life as it comes. It is to be optimistic about the future and grateful for the past. It is to be natural and authentic. To be graceful is to be compassionate. It is to care for the world as much as you care for yourself. Graceful is beauty that cannot be defined.
4. Passionate: I am not extraordinarily talented. I am not gifted or intelligent. I am simply passionate. Passion will push anyone to work the hardest, go the farthest, and learn the most. You don't have to be good; you just need to be passionate.
By no means am I belittling education or ambition. I will be the first one to encourage you to reach for more, and I will be the first one to push you to unlock your greatest potential. In addition, I am by no means saying that I have mastered these four things. I have simply decided that I would rather be known by these four characteristics than by any job title this world could ever give me. If you are like me and haven't figured out what you are supposed to do yet, do not to be discouraged. Spend time developing your talents and cultivating your character. Figure out what you are passionate about. Your purpose will lie where your talent and passion meet. You don't have to have a job title; jobs will change anyways. Just live your life and live it well. Do your best each day, and try to be better than you were the day before. If we spend a little more time trying to develop our character now, maybe we won't be impeaching presidents and suing doctors later. Stop focusing on the job. Focus on the person.
Stay happy, my friends.
