Whats my profession???

Do you remember that time when you were 18 and you had to make that huge decision of what you were going to do for the rest of your life? I don't.... it seems like such a long time ago.

But what I clearly remember is not being sure. When you are 18, the world seems like a plethora of opportunities; it is a bright, happy arena where everybody is successful, satisfied and happy. And then a few years pass by, and you get a blow in your face " Hard luck champ, life is not as rosy as it seemed".

Lets backtrack a few years and think. Every little child is asked who they want to be when they grow up. Parents get them the toys and see children emulate their grown-up jobs. I mean, how is the kid expected to take his career seriously if he started off looking at it as his entertainment!!!

And you know, what is so great about that stage is the fact that it is just role play; you could be whoever you want, whenever you want. It is not monotonous like real jobs. You don't have to go through the soporific routines day in and day out. If you come to think of it, no job is boring by itself, but too much of anything is dangerous.

That is what happens to all of us....we go through the drills, get the job, slog as much as it takes to get the perks, and just when you are about to retire, realize that this is completely different from your imaginary childhood job. That is a scary thought. No one wants to have regrets in life and everybody wants to look back with satisfaction. So what do you do to get that?

Do you find satisfaction in your work or do you work towards being satisfied??? This is the biggest dilemma for me....

I mean I could pretend that I am satisfied and then come face to face with reality a few years later, pining over wrong decisions, thinking why I didn't do something when I had the time. Or I could try to find that child in me today, do something new everyday and enjoy the tingling sense of not knowing what is coming next. I believe there are multiple facets to every person and there are so many things to learn and do, that a single lifetime isn't enough. Then why not explore your real dream, your true profession, the explorer, the wanderer? One of my friends looked at a 'Books to read before you die' list and commented, "There are so many books out there to read, that I cannot die anytime soon".

That is when I realized, I will not be happy with what I have; that is the minimalist's outlook. Everyday I want more from life, and for that I am going to put in more. Not much might change with  my job, but a lot will change my outlook. After all, it is just a job and once thats done, I can be whatever I want. I could be a skydiver, an author, have an ice-cream shop, or whatever else my imagination concocts!!! And that is when I will not have to go back in time to think if I made the right choices. That's when I will not have to think about what my profession is, because I would have known by then that my profession is to set more milestones and enjoy the ride trying to reach there.