I saw an interesting discussion on Facebook the other day about how to figure out what to do with your life. That's a really simple question with a lot of complicated answers. If you really think about it, this is almost asking what the meaning of life is.
Generally the context is where a person is trying to figure out what to do with their life, and that's rarely just what you do for a job. I think that's a big part of it, maybe over-emphasized, but it's bigger than that. In fact, I think when you look at the bigger picture, there's something very freeing about the idea that there is no one thing that makes your life meaningful and satisfying. It also changes constantly.
Let's look at the first part of that. There's no question that what we do to make money is a big part of what we use to define us, and that's not surprising when you spend almost half of your waking hours doing it. For some people, it might be as satisfying as working on a line and taking pride in that work. (I certainly wish it was that simple for me!) Others measure the size and scope of what they do, and more than a few measure it in dollars.
But people aren't just what they do. They're parents, spouses, volunteers, mentors, teachers, hobbyists, athletes... pretty much everything else you can do with your time. I think you will live a miserable existence if you're looking for the one silver bullet that defines what your life is about. We can't look for just one thing. The aggregate is probably representative of who you are. I struggled with this for years, trying to box in what was going to make me awesome and feel like I had purpose. It took awhile to see that was a huge combination of things that collectively make up my calling.
Then there's the other part, where that calling is dynamic. Sure, some people go through life building a great legacy, but most of us don't. Instead, our role in the universe changes and shifts as we go. Whatever got me out of bed in my 20's isn't the same as today. Now, it's mostly my 3-year-old that gets me out of bed, literally and figuratively. I'm a father, a husband, a steward of online communities, a maker of software... all things that I wasn't ten years ago. I'm not sure what my calling will be ten years from now, and I think I'm at peace with that.
So what does one do when they're trying to figure it all out? Well, what feels good? Or, what doesn't feel good? Do more of the former, less of the later. Just don't box yourself into a rigid definition of what you think is going to be the thing that defines you.
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