What do You Want to be When You Grow Up?
Image by The Doctr via Flickr
It’s a question everyone has heard or will hear. And it gets serious at the end of the teen years. I have two children in that situation right now, trying to decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives. I’m not so sure that means much any more, though. Yes, if you’re going to college, you need to decide some course of study, but less and less does a specific course of study indicate what you will do the rest of your life.
The world led by technology is changing so rapidly now that many careers become obsolete over the course of a lifetime. Long gone is the need for milkmen, switch board and elevator operators. Jobs predicted to become obsolete soon are bank tellers, mail clerks, photo processors, travel agents, etc. Print journalism is struggling only to be followed by book publishing and cable television.
Statistics show the average person will have as many as five “careers” in their lifetime. I’m looking for number 5 now. So where does that leave the budding high school or college graduate? Where we all need to be – searching on a much higher level.
What do I want to do with my life, shouldn’t be answered with a career choice. It must be answered with a lifestyle choice? How do I want to live my life? How do I want to impact the world around me? What can I do to make the world around me a better place?
from my notebook 
I’m in my early 40s and still trying to answer that question. I have decided that my focus is now more about making a difference to those around me instead of chasing a career path.
hopefully, one positive from the down economy will be that more and more of us get to that point.