Wouldn't it be great if we could all have that experience of committing to one thing for the rest of our adult lives, sticking it out when times get tough, and reaping the rewards of all our hard work, dedication, and passion that we put into this lifelong commitment? And no, I am not talking about a romantic relationship. I am talking about a career, or lack thereof.
Paid work gets a bad rap in our culture. It's something to be endured, gotten through, an adult necessity that no one likes but everyone has to do if they want to exist in this world, even at a subsistence level (which is all the more reason why societies should support a Basic Income Guarantee, but that's another article for another time).
But does it have to be this way? There are people out there who genuinely love their jobs. They love them so much, in fact, that to them it's more than "just" a job, it's a vocation, a calling, a (dare I say) career soulmate. Indeed, the idea of a career soulmate is enticing- to get paid to do something you would do on your own time anyway, be a master of your craft, belong to a community of like-minded individuals, contribute to your field, and be a part of something bigger than yourself. But, like the other kind of soul mate, is it a realistic goal? Is your career soulmate out there? What happens if you never find it?
These questions haunt me. As someone approaching thirty, I thought I would have it all figured out by now, and can't believe that after college and grad school I am back at square one- I have no idea what I want to do with my life. A job takes up so much time, energy, money (if you enter a profession that requires years of extra schooling), and most importantly your youth that it can be too much to bear if, when you hit retirement age, you feel like your most precious assets would have been better spent in another field.
As with all great loves, we always remember the first one. For me, it was medicine. Both my parents are doctors, so it had always been on my radar, but I never thought much of it until I watched a promotional video about Doctors Without Borders. They say love at first sight doesn't exist, but for me it did. In that instant, I had fallen in love with what I had assumed would be my lifelong career, my calling.
I took all the steps necessary to prepare myself for applying to medical school, and at one point when I did waver (a brief "break up" if you will) I came back because I knew it was the right decision for me, and couldn't imagine myself doing anything else. Once medical school officially started, I was in it for the long haul. Until, of course, all the joy and excitement and passion disappeared and I was left with the cold, harsh reality of what life as a doctor would really be like. That life was untenable, so I left. Years later, I'm still looking for "The One", but wonder if I will ever find it.
The stakes are outrageously high when it comes to the big decisions in life. But we can't be paralyzed by indecision or "what if" scenarios. There is always the possibility you will never find your one true career love, but as disappointing as that would be it would not be the end of the world. Whether or not your career soulmate exists, the one soulmate you can always count on is yourself.