What Advice Do You Give?
Nothing helps you get through the work week like being in the career you want to be in and doing the job you want to do. What advice did you give your children about a career?
Future chef or food critic…
Here are 3 things I told/tell/will tell mine. I say it that way because they are all at completely different stages in life; ages 27,20,16,and 4!
1. Don’t measure your success in life by dollars. Love, kindness, generosity, humility are the measures of a man/woman. This is truly what I believe in my core. I know this to be true, and I have moments when I’m in room full of people that are all about the dollar, and about pushing their children to be something “great.” I don’t care. I know this to be true; career success can bring joy and the means to experience life in a way not open to everyone, but it will never bring peace to your soul. However, show me a person that lives to cultivate the inner person and I will show you a person content in every situation, and valued by others, and a person at peace with themselves.
Never stop playing the instrument you played as a child/teen. Not only will it continue to be a relaxing hobby, you could give music lessons if you find yourself in need of extra income or even in the middle of a lay-off.
2. Do what you love. If you love something that doesn’t seem to have a career connected to it, create your own way. I have friends that debate this point with me. Their thought is who cares what you like to do, do what you have to do. There are times when circumstances of life make this true. If as a young person you can get on the path of doing what you love, before huge responsibilities and life firmly take hold, I say don’t pass up the opportunity. Doing what you love contributes to a sense of peace and well being. The negativity that can come from being somewhere you don’t want to be, doing what you don’t want to do can literally become so stressful and depressing it shortens your life!
3. Do more than one thing:
A. Be aware of every avenue that could branch off from your discipline. There may be changes in your life where you want to stay in your field but in another capacity.
B. If there aren’t alternate avenues of your chosen field, educate yourself another field that interests you. Never have just one talent, one interest, or one job. Don’t box yourself in, the days of working for a company for 30 years has passed. You have to have the fortitude to be fluid career-wise.
C. Regardless of what career you choose; always be able to create income entrepreneurially (I did look that up, it is a word!) This cannot be overlooked. There is not job security in this world anymore. The only way to guarantee you can always support your family and yourself, is to be able to pull yourself up and create your own opportunity.
If he ever finds himself out of a job as a dinosaur, his inner sense of wonder and humor can lead him to a job as a … well now, we’ll have to think about this one!