From a young age, it’s been drilled into us that we should follow one career path. That, somehow, by the end of high school, we needed to have worked out exactly what we wanted to be, how we’d go about achieving that goal, and then just go ahead and do it. But in a city like New York, where people move from miles away just to pursue their dreams, I know that sometimes life is unpredictable. Just like NYC Talking editor, Angel Rodriguez, who balances a full-time IT job with his music, poetry, and writing, I believe that having one career does not have to be the only way of life.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Since first being asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, my answer has shifted from the arts to all forms of academia.
I grew up with a strong love for music—at the young age of 5, I already wanted to be a singer. This also led to interests in songwriting and poetry. At one stage, I also dreamed of being a school teacher: my sister would play the role of ‘student’ and I would give her questions to answer; it was always enjoyable for both of us.
Those early dreams lasted until I reached the age of 11 and discovered I had a talent for building websites. This was the first dream that I took seriously. I created and ran 25 websites on my own, won a couple of awards, and was featured in a magazine. These were great achievements for a 14-year-old: I was quite proud of myself.
For the next few years, I was certain that my passion in life was building websites: it combined my love of creativity with my love of computers. I had mapped out exactly which universities I wanted to attend and what courses I would take.
Sometimes life just changes
But when I was in high school, at 17 and studying for my exams, a friend pulled me aside and said rather bluntly:
“I know you’re great at building websites, but I don’t know if you should be doing this for a living. You’re great with people; I think you should study something like Psychology. I think a lot of people would benefit from your work.”
Hearing such a thoughtful comment from my close friend made me reflect. Was he right? Was I using my talents in the best way? Was my ability to offer sound, thoughtful advice more than just advice? Was helping others with their emotional lives my gift?
How life is today
In the end, I did go on to study Psychology at university and I loved it. Although I met my husband and put my career on hold to have our children, my interest in emotional and mental health has not faded. I am now working as a freelance writer, and my dream is to one day be published in magazines like Psychology Today and Psychologies. I enjoy inspiring others with what I write.
I still love working on websites. That passion remains.
I still love to sing and write songs and poetry.
My interest in teaching is also still there, probably because of my love for children and my passion for giving all kids the best start in life.
Some of my passions may stay as hobbies, others may develop further. Only time will tell.
You can have more than one passion
Here in Australia, where I’m from, when an actor chooses to change careers and move into music, or a musician moves into acting, the person is sometimes criticized for using one industry to enter another. But I believe we all have different talents, and there is nothing wrong with exploring different interests.
We’ve all had different dreams at some stage. Some we never pursued seriously, others meant the world to us and our future.
But who says you have to live with just one dream, one career, or one goal?
Why can’t you be an IT worker like NYC Talking editor, Angel Rodriguez, who follows his love for music and writing in his spare time?
Why can’t you be a stay-at-home parent like me, balancing caring for three children and a successful writing career?
Why is it seen as impossible to achieve financial stability while also taking meaningful steps toward another dream?
It may be challenging to manage it all, but challenging does not mean impossible.
Maybe you don’t yet know what you want to be when you ‘grow up,’ but try not to feel limited to just one choice.
You have more options than you may believe.
(Editors note: This post hits home with me. Because to this day, I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. So, I’m doing it all! ~ Angel Rodriguez)
Another great feature Thuy. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.
Thanks, Phil! I completely understand where you’re coming from – working out who we want to ‘be’ is one of the most complicated questions we will ever have to answer. And it’s complicated because deciding what drives us – our true passions in life – depends on our own emotional maturity. So if we’re at a stage where we’re confused, where we’re going through some tough times – then naturally, deciding which career path we want to follow will be that much harder. That’s why I think it’s so difficult for teenagers to decide what career path they want to follow – they’re still trying to work out who they are as a person and what’s important to them. Good luck with your future – you’re running an awesome blog – that much I know! 🙂