Everybody gets to a point in their life when they have to make a decision that will probably change the rest of their career forever. I am currently surrounded by people who are not only making this choice but are showing tremendous passion for what they want to do. And that's great, fantastic actually. But it leaves me wondering why I don't have a passion for my future career. My heart is not set on anything at all. How sad is that?
Actually it's quite horrific, because I was thinking the other day that if I were to be 100% honest in any future job application I fill in, when asked why I am interested in working for their particular company, I would stick in a photo of the following:
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Yep, I definitely have my career priorities right..
But seriously, do you think that someone can be happy in a job without being passionate about it? Because if not, I am clearly destined to a life of misery, with or without a 370z.
22 comments:
I dunno. I hope so though because I'm going to study Law in uni and hopefully become a Lawyer. Need to pay off my parents' debts.
Kamille: As in your parents debts to you or their debts in general?
Salam x
Salam. Hi dear Zaenab. That's sure a smashing hot car there! Tell u what, I initially didn't have passion for my courses in uni nor my job either. Kinda followed the track my late father wanted me to. But I chose to work things out and found my area of 'interest' somehow, and made my career out of it. They said out there, job is different from career. So, no worries if u haven't got any passion yet for anything. Just start off somewhere.
xoxo, TPJ.
I hope that I can be passionate about my future. After taking two years off after high school, I just decided that this fall inshallah I'm going to start an associates degree in nursing. I am so nervous about finally going to college and so nervous about whether this is the right choice.
Salaam.
What do you think you won't like about being a pharmacist?
And no, I don't think a person can ever be happy in a job that they're not passionate about; you might as well be forced into slavery.
Sorry, but I left this out in the first post.
What would u like to do instead of being a pharmacist?
TPJ: I know right! It's my dream car xD Yeh I'm sort of hoping that the job end I up in I just somehow end up enjoying..
Mrs Sara B: Aww don't worry! Insha'Allah you chose the right degree. It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into so hopefully it's the right thing for you. Let me know how it goes!
Salaam: I think I'd like the job but I just don't think I'd love it or be as enthusiastic about it as other people are. Slavery! LOL I wouldn't got that far. There isn't anything else that I really want to do, I'm doing some work experience soon so Insha'Allah that'll help me decide. You seem passionate about what you do, which is really good.
Salam :)
Stylish Muslimah,
I did my undergrad thinking that I wanted to be a lawyer, but on the weekends I would teach at my local Sunday School. I realized my passion was teaching - but it was hard for me at that point to un-do everything I work so hard for to follow a completely different path.
Alhamdulillah, through patience and du'a Allah (swt) guided me through and now I have a Masters in teaching.
I do believe once you start working in it you will find something you love about it. Just keep making du'a. If it isn't this - something will def. come your way IA.
Their debts in financial terms. They have a huge mortgage and my father is getting old so there is not chance they'll pay it off in their lifetime. I want them to be able to retire and enjoy their last years rather than see them work to their graves.
Salam!
You should know that you are not alone. Many people feel this way, myself included. I've noticed that in the West, we tend to "live to work" where as in other parts of the world people "work to live". It is never a bad thing to enjoy the job/career you have, but maybe a simple change in perspective might help ease the stress?
Tia
Sipping chai: I'm glad things sorted out for you! Insha'Allah Allah (SWT) does the best thing for me. I want some chai now lol xD
Kamille: I've read over 3000 comments on this blog and that was by far the best. I hope Allah (SWT) never stops rewarding you and forgives every one of your sins.
Tia: That is sooo true! Life is all about work here in the west :/
Salam :)
I think it really depends on the person.
As long as it pays well and the bills are being paid, some people can work a 9-5 job which they have NO passion for.
Different strokes for different folks. I personally couldn't do that. I have to be passionate about my career or I would hate going to work - no matter how well it pays.
I recently change career paths from Nursing to a field that I've always been interested in and passionate about, Psychology. I haven't looked back since.
Hope you find the right career path!
well, I think if I remember right from other blog entries, you are still fairly young - so I think it's normally in your early-ish twenties to still not know where your career is going. don't stress about it. it's OK if right now you don't feel passionate. but I hope you ARE happy in your job. if not, move.
if you can find that mix of passion and work - then you will on to a winner and make loads of money I'm sure. but if not, just take it easy. Work isn't the be all and end all of life. There are soooooo many other important things.
(p.s. looks like you're quite passionate about fashion from where i sit....)
From,
Elisheva
People priorities and preferences change as they get older. I have a friend who is a lawyer but now wants to leave law and get into organic fruit and veg! Im still in the same rut at my age, confused between fashion and social work so dont fret you have plenty of time!
Elisheva: Lol yes, I do love fashion but I think my parents conditioned me to believe that fashion can only ever be a hoddy and a career can only ever be in science. But you're right though, there are more important things in life.
Sorayya: How did i not know about your blog before today?! It's so cool!
Salam x
In order to be successful at a career, you need to love it. From a young age, my dad made me sure that there was no way that he'd choose a career for me unlike my mother who would loved for me to become a lawyer, doctor or accountant but my dad stressed that as long as I'm happy with it, then he would be too and my mum is happy with what I've chosen too!
I think you should go with something you love, and it may take a while to find out what you love but explore yourself, find new hobbies, meet people and you never know.. inshallah you'll find that career that'll make you happy :)
Hafsa: That's really wise of him! What did you choose in the end?
Salam x
Diasa: I agree with hafsa you should do something you love because if you don't love doing a particular work you wouldn't be passionate about it and sooner or later you will lose interest.
P.s. Just follow your heart and think what you enjoy the most. Just wanted to say enjoying your blogs, keep it up :D
I don't think you have to do something you are passionate about *as a job* though having something like that in your life is definitely good. I'm like you... though I'm not thinking about the fancy car, I work to live, I don't live to work! The primary (okay, only) reason I have a job is to pay for my living (and my son now too :). If I didn't have to have a full-time job, I wouldn't. That isn't to say I wouldn't want to do something that could make money incidentally, but I appreciate the security that my steady job brings. There are a lot of things I love to do that don't really pay a lot in the way that I enjoy doing them and I'm not ready to give up the security at this point in life to try to turn what is my fun into my life support. When it comes to the creative things I enjoy, like sculpting or writing, part of me thinks I wouldn't enjoy these as much if I had to rely on them for the sole family income, especially with a kid (it's much more nerve racking to have someone else relying on you than just yourself). It might actually take away some of my passion for it.
At the same time, I absolutely enjoy some aspects of my job. But I don't think of it as defining me or even really a "career;" there are many things in life I enjoy. I have held a variety of completely different types of jobs and I have enjoyed different aspects of all of them. None of them have been more important than my personal (non-work) life, though. When you look at the career as a means to an end (enjoying your off-time vs. the reason for your being) I think you expect different things out of it and maybe it's more easy to be satisfied. Though I've also known coworkers in the same job who really live for it and don't have much interest in anything else. I guess I have never sought a "career" or filled in I want to be a _____ with one word that describes just me and all that I am. The only thing I consistently wanted when I was a kid was to be a mommy and stay at home with my future kids (to the horror, I think, of my feminist-leaning and wonderful career example mother :).
I also, like you, took in the message growing up that the things that I love to do the most are hobbies, not a job (we've all heard about the starving artist...). As such I did not take those as a "career path" in school. A part of me realizes now that I shouldn't have listened to the naysaying as much and perhaps expanded into some other areas of things that I enjoy, and maybe I would have made an okay living at them. I also realized after college that you don't necessarily have to decide your life/career path at that time, not only that but you CAN'T decide your life trajectory because you don't know what is in store for you. So pick something that doesn't make you feel sick inside, try it. Don't feel you are bound in steel. Working some different types of part-time jobs before the "career" aspect might also help you explore aspects of different paths you could take from the same education, and identify what parts of work are most fulfilling to you. Some of the things about work I like more than the specific job are the ability to keep learning new things, and the ability to help others, which are widely applicable. So the aspect that drives you may not be the career title itself but how a particular position allows you to work.
I also saw this post lately on Penelope Trunk, who always has a nice and different perspective on things to think about! (It's old, I just ran into it the other day though so it seems timely): http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/18/bad-career-advice-do-what-you-love/
Hey Kamille, it sounds very hard but also really brave of you! you will and can do it! wish you the best in the world that all your dreams will fullfill!
Its a serious question. You know, I think you have to sit down and actually think about it. Hard. Usually, people (ESPECIALLY kids in America) are raised with the veiw point of becoming a doctor or something that makes a lot of money because of the tough times we are going through now. So, they end up not being very happy with their career choices. At first, I wanted to be a professor. Now, I want to do anesthesia or radiology. Maybe your meant to be something entirely different. You are in college, right? Do istikhaar. These things answer themselves in strange ways.
:)
Dang, thats a nice car...
-Fatima
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