I know I’m not the only twenty-something that has felt like there are so many career paths, jobs, and choices to make at this time of my life. Being in your twenties sometimes feels like you’re the next person in line at a restaurant and have no idea what you’re going to order - but times 1,000. We live in a world that constantly reminds us that we only live once, which sets some kind of expectation that we need to be seeing the world, developing as a person, and have a career that we just love going to every day. Thanks to the internet, we see successful young people all over our phone screens. Not being a Kardashian/Jenner billionaire with a business empire can feel like we've failed. Today, I thought I’d get personal with y’all and let you in on how I found peace deciding what to do with my life by prayer, mentors, and a changed perception.
Think back to when your parents first read you “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Suess. Times felt simplistic to me and my days consisted of horses and Capri Suns. The book describes how overwhelming it can feel deciding what to do with your life. Add in factors like not wanting to let your parents down, the comparison game on social media, and you probably have a good look into what we all feel sometimes. The tenacity for perfection makes us so indecisive on what to choose to do. With lots of thinking about this, I've concluded the following:
We Were Made to Work
"The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” - Genesis 2:15
Life consists of times for work and times for rest. Whatever career we choose, I believe that we are given the task to reflect His glory through our actions. The Bible describes that the presence of sin has made work difficult (Genesis 3:17-19) but we aren't in this alone.
How to Decide What to Do
Oprah once said, “Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.” This quote has stuck with me over the years. I think that sometimes we can confuse an interest or hobby with a passion. Author Dr. Cal Newport says it best: "Passion is not something you follow, passion is something that will follow you as you put in the hard work to become valuable to the world." To decide what to do with your life, you can start by choosing something that interests you that people will pay you to do. As you put in the hard work, you can fund your passions and feel good about the value you provided to get there.
For example, I'm starting my career in logistics this summer. I am good at what I do (or would like to think so) and know that I can provide value to a company through it, which brings me joy knowing that what I'm doing affects others positively. Through my hard work, I'll be able to fund my hobbies and interests freely.
Finding Peace
I found peace in deciding what to do with my life through prayer and Godly mentors. Surround yourself with hardworking people who found joy through the value they brought to the world. Get out there and make a difference with whatever career you choose. Strive for progress, not perfection. Oh, and make up your mind when it comes to ordering - that's the probably the easiest thing you'll do all day.
Good luck!
-mms