Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates

Back at the beginning of June, I wrote a post about pursuing your passion. It was sparked by an article I had read about a number of older people who decided to take on second or third jobs so they could make the things they were passionate about part of their daily lives. At the time, I got to thinking about how I could integrate my passion for writing into my every day. Little did I know, that less than a month later I would become unemployed and forced to reconsider my passions and how exactly I was going to pursue them.

At a job interview a couple of weeks ago, the interviewer asked me where I see myself in five years. It’s a pretty standard question, and yet, I wasn’t quite sure how to answer. The truth is that I don’t have it all planned out, and I don’t have a perfect outline of my dream job either. Sure, I have a lot of things I would be happy doing, but if I became queen of the world and could do whatever I wanted…I’d have to think about it for a while.

I’ll be honest, this realization scares me a little bit. I know so many amazing young entrepreneurs who not only dream big, but go after their dreams and achieve them. There are even two incredibly impressive young women who not only followed their dream, but blog about how they pursue their passion every day. Another friend of mine just quit her corporate job to start her own business and freelance full time. Major kudos.

Here’s the thing, when I was first let go, I focused on the fact that this was an opportunity for a new beginning. In fact, I titled a post on the subject “The Possibilities Are Endless.” I still believe that, and I know that I will find the job that’s right for me.  I also know that entrepreneurship is not it, and that’s okay. I need more structure in my day to day right now, that’s just something I’ve come to realize about myself.

When I think more about my broad answer to the five year question, it doesn’t scare me as much as it first did. I’m lucky to have a number of things that I love doing, and several subject areas that spark my interest. Instead of limiting myself, or driving down the career highway with blinders on, I’m keeping my options open. And who’s to say that I should be absolutely sure what I’m passionate about at age 25? Just because some people have it all figured out (or seem like they do) doesn’t mean we all have to. If where you want to be in five years is happily employed doing something that relates to x, y, or z, that doesn’t make you a bad person, or a bad candidate for the job, and it doesn’t mean you’ll never find your dream job. It just makes you, you.

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