Natalia Naman Temesgen: Passion vs. practicality: Mutually exclusive?
My sister is currently living the life of an international humanitarian. She is working with Samaritan's Purse to improve water sanitation in Tacloban, an urban hub in the Phillipines that suffered widespread destruction in 2013 when Typhoon Haiyan hit. Her impact in Tacloban is undeniably beneficial, but she is plagued by one haunting question: What should I be doing with my life?
Never a fan of decision-making, she's at the crossroads of a couple of career paths: applying to medical school or continuing her work in the WASH sector (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene). I see her excelling in either professional arena, but she's not really looking for the logical answer. She wants a sense of divine clarity.
A couple of weeks ago, a friend shared similar sentiments. She's been excelling at the same company since graduating college, but she's starting to feel a pull to shift gears. While there is financial stability in her current job, there is a lack of spiritual and emotional fulfillment. She's passionate about something totally different -- something she has no professional experience doing. If she decides to change paths, she will be starting from scratch.
When she asked for my thoughts, I figured she expected me to tell her to quit the day job and follow her heart. A few years ago, right out of drama school with nothing but aspirations, I'm sure I would have said it just like that. But that day, as a mom with a spouse and a mortgage, I was hesitant. "Is there any way for you to pursue both at once?" I asked. "Can one be your paycheck while the other is your well-developed hobby?"
See, I was born into a generation that is used to having options. We don’t wait long for what we want, and if we don’t get it we look for an alternative.
We want to have it all and do it all at once. We don't like anyone telling us "you can't." We assume that having big families and big careers and big social lives and big travel plans and big philanthropic footprints are not mutually exclusive. And many out there are proving us right.
But is it easy to have it all? Is it reasonable to be deeply fulfilled by your career? Is it selfish to want that? I'm constantly reminded that I don't know anything, really. But what I seem to be picking up on is this:
1. Work is work, even when you love what you do. There will be days of glee and days you want to run screaming.
2. Whether you are an optimist or pessimist, your vision of the future is never going to reflect the reality that awaits you. There are unexpected aspects to any journey.
3. What is always true and constant is that you are always just where you are. And in the present moment, you can control your attitude more than your circumstances.
Whichever road my sister and my friend decide to take, the biggest determinant in their fulfillment is their own mindset rather than the specifics of what they will be doing. I wish them both boldness, courage, and humility along the way.
Natalia Naman Temesgen is an independent correspondent. Contact her at nntemesgen@gmail.com
This story was originally published March 21, 2015 at 8:05 PM with the headline "Natalia Naman Temesgen: Passion vs. practicality: Mutually exclusive?."