I'm about to turn fifty-one and was one of the lucky ones. I figured out what I wanted to do with my life early but the problem is it took me until I was forty-six to make it work so I had to do a bunch of other things to pay the bills --- working soul-killing corporate jobs, selling handmade books of my poetry, refurbishing vintage watches and selling them, etc.
To be honest I've met very few people who even know what they want to do with their lives. We are among the lucky ones. Modern society has largely misguided us here. The pressure of "having to figure it out" by a certain age oftentimes paralyzes people. Making a career or professional the sole wellspring of their happiness and fulfillment is equally as paralyzing. At this stage of life I realize happiness and fulfillment come from a variety of sources. Time is linear but life necessarily isn't, it's like a mosaic.
I think the amazing thing about the world today is if we don't know what we want to do it's perfectly fine to try a bunch of different things until we find what really fulfills us. Sometimes what fulfills us is not a career at all, it's a hobby, or raising a family, gardening (or all of that combined).
I wish more people paid attention to what fills them with positive energy and joy. The secret is THAT is what they have to figure out. What makes time speed up instead of slow down? Once they determine what fills them with energy and joy all they have to do is pursue it.
I love this. I wish this wasn't so hard to remember, sometimes.
Yeah, it seems to me that a lot of people just grab some path at random, just to say they figured it out. I think it's really brave to take the time and have the guts to say I don't know.
You said something similar to me a few months back, about radiating joy, and I can't get it out of my head. So lately, I'm trying to aim towards that, rather than towards something coherent, you know?
It certainly is tough to remember but gets easier with practice.
I do believe our emotions and feelings are definitely there to help guide us through this maze of life. If we do more of those things that -- fulfill us, bring us joy, makes time pass quickly then we're on the right path for us as individuals.
Radiating joy is a good way to attract more of that stuff your way and the joy naturally comes when you pursue the things that make you happy, it really becomes like one big closed loop.
Thanks for the thought provoking post and have a wonderful week!
thank you for the thought-provoking...well, thought :) I always appreciate conversations with you.
You're very welcome! I hope I'm not coming off as a "know it all". I'm the first to admit there's still a lot I don't know. : ) I'm just trying to pass on lessons I've learned.
Not at all! I think you can tell when someone's imparting genuine wisdom, and when they're just talking outta their ass, and I think this is definitely the former ;)
Oh good! I was just remembering a lot of our past interactions and I'm always trying to impart some kind of wisdom. Lol.