My birthday was yesterday. A lot of people don’t enjoy birthdays, but I say they are depraved souls in need of a talking-to.
I say this mostly because I want people to comment, though.
Birthdays are, in a way, like New Years. You remember that people love you, and you try to make goals for yourself, or you decree that there will be no new goal-making in your life in an attempt to be different from everyone else, except that there are always plenty of other stubborn people whose goal is not to strive for anything.
Last year, I made a huge jump. I jumped the hell out of a job that didn’t make any sense and was lucky enough to be supported by the fellow I’m about to commit to a lifetime of happiness with. A career in my educational field hasn’t really panned out for me, and I don’t expect it will, because it’s not what I love. If I had dreams of making a lot of money while destroying other people’s lives, maybe I could do it.
It wasn’t a total waste. There are plenty of ways my education can contribute to the person I will become, the profession I will (eventually) settle on, and there were plenty of experiences I will take from that time with me into the future and already do.
I have some advice:
Do exactly what you love in life, and accept no less.
And if you don’t know what that is and you have a limited cash flow (or have to get a student loan), don’t go to school for the sake of going to school. Growing up, there were people who told me to get an education no matter what, even if I wasn’t sure of what I liked yet. I’m not sure, maybe these people were covert ambassadors for Ontario colleges and universities, but I am sure that they weren’t right.
Use your time to discover what you really love. Once you’ve found out what it is, educate yourself. And getting educated isn’t all about throwing your money at an institution (though I don’t believe you should become a practicing doctor if you’ve not gone through the required training). Self-educate. Devour all the information you can on the subject, and get out and do what you can with it. Find like-minded people with whom you can discuss ideas.
Moreover, if you’re stuck in a job you hate, find a way to start anew. This is the hardest part, as jobs do not come easy and living without money is next to impossible. Once you’ve gotten past this step though, it’s a new lease on life and you will feel 100x better. It’s a lot of work. It doesn’t seem worth it to make that kind of effort when you already know how to do something so well. But if you’re not happy doing something, what good is knowing how to do it?
Running in circles… It doesn’t get you anywhere different.
Life is too short to live less than satisfied with yourself. Stuck in a town you hate? Same thing. Have friends who are less than supportive? Find new friends who support your dreams. Same with your partner. You should never feel that your partner wouldn’t support you through thick and thin. That’s what partners do.
What the hell am I saying?
Get out, get happier. Enjoy yourself and contribute through your passion to this silly world.
I’m still finding mine, if you were wondering — I’m trying to decide which one of my many interests to focus most of my energy on forever. But it’s progress, and hopefully soon something will come of it.
So yeah.
When did you figure out what you wanted to do, or are you still in the process?
