“You can be anything you want. Just work hard and shoot for the stars!” Successful people like to talk like this. They sell a lot of books suggesting anyone can be as successful as they are.
But really, can you? Depends on what you want to be. If it’s a Hollywood actor or major league baseball player, you’re up against some stiff odds.
As a young child, I wanted to be a successful author. I secretly still hold this aspiration, but now that I’ve written a couple books (unpublished) for “fun,” I wonder how much I would enjoy this kind of work. Sitting alone writing every day is no easy task – I experienced enough of that during the lockdowns. Sure, my ego would be blessed by publishing a few bestsellers, but I’m not sure my psychological health would benefit.
Through trial and error and plenty of good fortune, I found a field of work that’s interesting and, more importantly, involves people I enjoy working with. Does it satisfy all my inner yearnings? Of course not. That’s what hobbies are for.
I understand that some people really do live for the weekends and work is only a means to an end. Depending on where you live, your education and life skills, you may not have much choice. If I had lived a couple centuries ago, I likely would have been a farmer. Would I have enjoyed it? Not likely not as much as my job today. Hey, I get to make spreadsheets!
For certain jobs, I simply lack the natural abilities. If I had become a carpenter, I’d likely be missing some fingers. It doesn’t come naturally to me to work with my hands. For others, writing an essay is like hitting your thumb with a hammer over and over again.
Yet the ability to write essays has many benefits. It can get you a degree. More and more, the world we live in benefits those who are academically inclined. Some of the richest people in the world are your typical high school nerds (no offense to nerds): Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos all fit the bill.
Now more than ever, education opens doors. Getting an office job today without a degree on your resume is nearly impossible. A successful American journalist who lost his job in his 40s told the story about how difficult it was to regain employment with only a high school diploma. Although qualified, he typically got weeded out early in the job application process.
At my daughter’s band concert this week, the grade 12 students were singled out for what they planned to do next year and almost everyone said they planned to attend college or university. Over half of them planned to major in psychology, nursing or education, specialties that have good long-term prospects. A couple more students planned to study political science, which I fully approve – we need critical thinkers to address our many social issues. Another guy planned to attend a technical school to become a mechanic. Hey, it’s not my thing, but we need those too.
But, compared to the general population, I would argue this was the cream of the crop. These were band students after all, where the stereotype is dead on. Those who take the time to learn an instrument tend to be more intellectually inclined and to have multiple interests. Also, most of these students were either first- or second-generation immigrants, where the pressure to succeed is baked into one’s psyche from a young age. There’s none of this, “Do whatever fulfills you, sweetie.” No, no – in most of the world, life’s actually about making a living!
The contrast is reflected in my own family where, as a privileged white Canadian, I tend to advise my teenage daughter with comments like, “Don’t worry, you’ll figure things out...” While my wife, a Ukraine-born immigrant is more likely to say, “Uh-huh, you will figure things out.”
Nothing wrong with either approach, so long as you... Stay in school.
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