Follow Your Dreams or Find Stability?

November 9, 2010

Last week, my sister found out that she passed the BAR exam (congrats, sis!), which means, barring the passing of a character and fitness assessment, she will be legally allowed to practice law! This is obviously a huge accomplishment for her, and for me and the rest of my family, who are all brimming with pride. Of course, since nothing in my life (or my sister’s, clearly) goes on without a hefty side of overthinking, this got me thinking.

My sister wasn’t someone who knew she wanted to be a lawyer since birth, or even since college. She took off two years post-college to work, gain experience and test the waters before she even took the LSATs. She is now deeply passionate about law and so excited to have completed such a milestone and venture into the world of legal practice, but it wasn’t as if this was a life-long dream come to fruition. I don’t necessarily think there is a better or worse when it comes to how long someone has wanted to do their sort of career…but I do find it interesting.

There are some people who are chasing the same dreams they’ve had as little kids, and there is definitely something inspiring and poetic about that. And yet, there are others who change their minds about their career paths like they change their underwear, and that too is inspiring, in a more spontaneous, flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of way.

I think I fall somewhere in the middle. I’ve always loved to write, but I have/had other passions as well, things I’ve dabbled in and things I’ve considered pursuing further. Now, writing is my job and I continue to love it; I feel excited that this is something that’s stayed with me my whole life. Even still, I do wonder what it would be like to have an idea and run with it, to like something new and have the courage to pursue it, or to venture down a career path for the sake of stability, forfeiting my own passions/happiness.

I’ve talked about this with my doctor before. He always says how proud he is of me for loving something that isn’t necessarily the easiest to pursue and sticking it out. Conversely, sometimes I wish I was good at science so I could go to med school and merely go through the motions to become a doctor, a highly respected profession guaranteed to make a respectable amount of money. While I am a firm believer in being happy and know that I wouldn’t be completely content doing medicine if it wasn’t my passion, I can’t help but sometimes envy the people who are on such a structured career path with such a definite end result.

-Lynden Halpern

GIRL TALK TIME: Are you pursuing a profession that you love? Do you wish you could have a different career? Do you think it’s more important to be happy or do what will support you financially?! How did you choose your job? Was it by accident or have you dreamed of it since childhood?

Shecky’s