we're at a point in our lives where "success" is all we can think about. ugh.
constantly being reminded by our teachers, by our parents, by our friends.
I see all my peers struggling and scrambling to fill out internship applications and working their butts off only to get a job they know they'll dread going to for the next 40 or so years.
that's just not for me.
my dad always told me that success, when it comes to a career, is "finding something you love so much that you're willing to do it for free...but doing it so well that you get paid for it." and dad, i couldn't agree with you more. I refuse to be one of those people who gets a job just because everyone else tells me it's the path i should be taking. of course want to earn a substantial amount of money. of course i want to achieve a high standing in the career of my choice. of course i want to be able to make something of the [significantly high priced] education i've gotten over the last 15+ years. but honestly, none of that matters if i have to wake up every morning dreading to start my day, counting down the hours until i get off of work, wishing i was doing something more self-fulfilling...
but maybe that's just because it's all i grew up knowing.
Both of my parents were blessed enough to obtain a successful career in doing what they absolutely loved. but both found it in different ways.
my dad who left his home of Florida at a young age and took a bus to Los Angeles with only $18 dollars in his pocket was forced to find a job in any space that was hiring. at the time, it was the US Postal Service - as a mail sorter. but he took so much pride in doing what he did, and worked twice as hard to do his best, that he managed to work his way up through every position until he got to the very top - Postmaster of Los Angeles, over-seeing 4,000 employees. He loved his job. We, his family, had to beg him to retire at the age of 61 after 48+ years of working having only missed 2 days - one being when he was in a car accident, the other being for his mother's funeral. that's my dad.
My mom on the other hand is more like me. She was fortunate enough to go to unviersity and find a path she was interested in - Architectural and Interior design. She's the creative one in the family. She gets to travel all over the world designing hotels and homes for famous people - the family even benefits from it when we travel :). She works for a small, but well-known firm. they get to dress casually everyday, they're laid back, and they all enjoy each others company. That's more along the lines of what i want for myself.
I'll know i've been successful when I wake up one morning and can't wait to go to work because of how passionate i am in my career choice. What that is yet, i don't fully know. But i will soon.
and i know it's something i have to learn and find for myself. nobody can tell me what i'm supposed to be because they are not me...they can advise me, but through time, we all learn that someone else's advice is not always what's best for us........and it doesnt help that i've never really been one to follow the 'crowd' in the first place...
Success [sək-ˈses] (n.):
"peace of mind attained only through
self satisfaction in knowing
you made the effort to do
the best of which you're capable."
- John Wooden
self satisfaction in knowing
you made the effort to do
the best of which you're capable."
- John Wooden
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