Trying to decide what you want to be when you grow up? Me too! Well, here are a few key concepts that you can use to guide your decision…
Talent: We like to think that we are all gifted with a certain natural ability that we will use throughout our life. And all empirical evidence would say that this is true: we see athletes gifted with strength and stamina that seem to come from nowhere, three year olds who speak five languages and spell words like "quixotic" with their alphabet cereal, and artists who with no training, create beautiful masterpieces using spray-paint cans and their imagination. If you still doubt the notion of talent, visit a karaoke bar – the span between the divinely gifted and hellishly loud will certainly end your skepticism. So, if the concept of "talent" holds true, we should all do what we are most naturally gifted for, no matter how glamorous or demeaning our gift may be. If this is the to be the true determiner of our life's purpose, then we believe that God hands out talent as if assigning roles in life. If you just so happened to be great at cleaning toilets, well, sorry if it's not your dream job – just do what you're good at. Another problem arises with this concept, in that if we only pursue those things for which we are naturally gifted and thus achieve with minimal effort, where is the glory in that?
Which brings me to our next concept…
Passion: This is concept is perhaps best personified in the movie Rudy. Devoid of what some might call "talent," the young footballer compensates with an unwavering passion to accomplish the impossible. The idea here is that we cannot be restrained, or even directed by our natural abilities, or lack thereof, and that we must ultimately pursue (even to a fault) those things for which we have a natural unwavering desire. This idea stands in stark contrast to talent, perhaps defying talent's existence. It says that greatness is an act of sheer will, fueled by passion and that anyone can accomplish anything. While this does seem a far more inspiring concept on which to base our life decision, it demonstrates some serious faults in application. For instance, if we only pursued those things we were passionate about, wouldn't we have a surplus of bad singers and ugly models? No one would take out the garbage or pave roads. And in the end, the vast majority of us would end up in either ultimate failure, or Pyrrhic victory. (Rudy did only get in on one or two plays.)
So the opposite approach to that would be…
Practicality: We really have to decide whether we want to work to live or live to work. Perhaps, our career is simply a means to an end. If that is the case, we can afford to sacrifice the better part of our days doing nearly anything, so long as it affords us the opportunity to pursue our TRUE ambitions in our spare time. Perhaps life in a cubicle, though not your gift or your passion, is a necessary evil to afford you the chance to take a self indulgent vacation to the Caribbean or a missionary trip to Darfur. If this is the case, then we should choose our career simply through a cost/benefit analysis – and whatever career we are even remotely capable of both performing and tolerating, that affords us the most money and spare time is the one we shall choose. I guess this is how we get accountants.
But what if we insist on earning a paycheck and making a difference at the same time?
Obligation: Service is the ultimate goal. It doesn't matter how much or little you make, so long as you make a difference. And that is a good thing, because the vast majority of "service" careers don't pay much at all. If you're looking for a codependent relationship with your employer, you need only determine who or what you would like to serve. Children? Teach. The protection of the nation? The armed services are for you - you get some new clothes and nine month vacations to the desert as a bonus. The sick? Be a nurse. (Doctors made their decision using the practicality method…$$$) Other than a lack of financial compensation, this concept presents a weakness in that there are far too many fields in which we can work our butts off for meager wages in service to others – we'll need some other concept to further narrow the field.
So thankless jobs aren't for you? Lets try the opposite extreme…
Fame: This is America after all. And with the advent of the internet, fame is only one lucky Youtube posting away. This is perhaps one of the most appealing concepts on which to base our life decision, for it requires nothing in the way of talent, passion or hard work. To be fair, some do achieve fame through concerted effort, but the vast majority of today's most famous personalities are simply famous for being famous. Perhaps we can achieve celebrity through our own lucky alignment of stars – and ride that wave until it crashes us into a reality TV show of our own? While this method does seem to offer the most payout for the least effort invested, it does seem a bit less secure than simply buying lottery tickets and hoping for the best.
So which do we choose?
The truth is that each of these concepts is real and true motivator that will drive our decision regarding how we pay our bills each month. However, they are not mutually exclusive. The greatest athletes are talented AND passionate. The desire to be President of the United States has to come from a certain mix of longing for self sacrifice and fame-seeking self-confidence. And in the end, the person that we are is not defined by what we do for a living, though how we choose to earn our wages does speak to our nature and our character. So seek balance – use your talents and pursue your passions, both inside and outside of your career. Seek purpose in what it is you do to pay the bills, but don't rely on your job to motivate you out of bed every morning. For if we lose this balance, we run the risk of seeing our motivation fluctuate with our performance, which is a sure-fire formula for failure and heartache.
If we rely too heavily on one concept, our strengths become our weaknesses. Our passion for our trade is lost when it is done simply to pay the bills. We become bored in a field that ceases to challenge us when we simply do that which we are most naturally gifted. We resent those we serve when we do so out of obligation. Or we simply never really do anything as we wait on life to award us our undeserved award.
Through balance we find a place where our talents are used, but our abilities challenged. We make a difference in others' lives, but still maintain a life of our own. We find meaning in the work we do, but we refuse to let it define us.
So seek balance, and don't be afraid of trying the wrong thing.
God has a plan, and He IS pointing you towards it.
And remember, you are never too old to decide what you want to be when you grow up.
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