The people who truly inspire me the most are the people who have spent their lives doing what they love to do, and are able to look back on their life and say “if I died today, I would be happy with the way I lived my life.” A perfect example of this kind of person is one of my coworkers at the university. He is a South African older man who has fallen down mountains, scuba-dived in places all over the world, served in the military in Angola, worked on conservation projects, raised two beautiful children, and has been a teacher his entire professional career. Our endless conversations always bring a story of his to the surface and I listen in awe. Before I came to Korea, I figured I would spend a year working, then return to the U.S. and work a “safe” office job in Human Resources, working my way up from a stuffy office or corner cubical behind a desk. However, my experiences from this year and getting to know people like my coworker has inspired me to uncover my passions and things that excite me about life and to follow that path. I am truly grateful for knowing a person like him and I think he influenced my life and time in Korea more than he will ever know.
I actually wrote the above a little bit before I had left Korea...
As I'm job searching, I cannot forget this and must remind myself to continuously push myself in the direction I want to go. A great friend of mine shared this wonderful quote with me today "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”-Andre Gide
I really like this post because I've been struggling to find my passion for the past six months or so now...I've quit my job that I was extremely good at and had tons of opportunities to advance..and I quit school because I was starting to get into my major and didn't know what to do...
ReplyDeletei find myself disagreeing with a lot of our peers when they choose a major or a post college job that's solely on the fat paycheck...I wish a lot of them would do what we're doing: finding our passion.
I know exactly how you're feeling. I finished school ASAP. While I was in school, I didn't take advantage of all the resources for students and carefully explore majors/choose my major...and I didn't take the time to study abroad because I was absorbed in an unhealthy relationship. By the time that ended I just wanted to get the eff out of here...so I focused on getting through school, I finished a semester early, and took off.
ReplyDeleteBeing back, I feel more at a loss of what to do with myself and my career than I did before I left for Korea. Some people don't find their passion until they're mid-life. I know I won't succeed in a position that I'm not interested in...I guess it's just a matter of finding that fit. I hope it happens sooner than later for us!
i guess i could learn from your mistake and use up different resources offered to me and make sure i'm going to get into something i truly believe in. sometimes i feel like i should just pick something to just have a degree and i can decide what to do after i'm finished with school, but then i tell myself what's the rush? i just feel so out of place when everyone our age is done and i'm here on standby. haha
ReplyDeletesince you have spare time now if you havent yet, you should read the alchemist by paulo coehlo..i think you'll like it. and it sort of suits the situation we're in. maybe it'll help you.
If I were you I would use some of those resources if they can help you. I guess I didn't realize how valuable they were to me until now...out of school, realizing how much they could have helped me. Career centers, talking with your adviser, career fairs at your school, being a student and taking on an internship, getting involved with various activities to explore your interests.
ReplyDeleteWe are still very young, and I do agree, what's the rush? There isn't a rush, but try to keep focused on accomplishing something ya know. People asked me, why wasn't I staying in Korea to make money, especially since I wasn't certain on where I'm going next...but my response is, even if I don't know what I'm doing, why would I waste my time in a position which I'm certain is not my future. As long as we keep moving and being proactive in our search and trying different things out, is a step in the right direction. So even though you feel like you're on standby, there are things you can be doing and trying out. Try volunteer projects, paid internships, get your feet wet. (I'm sure you've heard all of this before)
I'll check out the book, I have something I'm reading know but when I'm done I'll check it out! I have this book I read called What should I do with my life? haha by Po Bronson...it chronicles stories of people who have sought out to find the answer to that question...some stories involve stories of professionals who have spent years and years in their profession and didn't discover and pursue their true passion till later on in life. etc...maybe you'll find it interesting. Are you working now?