You Don’t Have to Do What You Love
But you also don’t have to do something you hate
“Do what you love!”
“Follow your bliss!”
“Anything is possible with hard work!”
Riiiiiight.
From the time we are small children dreaming of being astronauts, we are told that we can be anything we want to be. Americans are in love with the idea of pursuing a dream job. Going to work every day excited to be there. Your job is like your soulmate — there’s one out there that will be perfect for you, will fulfill you emotionally and spiritually, will compensate you generously and propel you into a star-strewn career that will give your life meaning and build your legacy.
But in this reality, not everyone can be an astronaut. In fact, most people can’t.
It’s time to extinguish this peculiar mythology of any career being within our reach. It’s time to tell young people that it’s okay not to pursue their dream job, and it’s also okay not to pursue a career that they aren’t interested in simply because it’s prestigious or lucrative. It’s time to say not “Do what you love,” but rather, “Do what you are good at.”
Let me tell you how I know.
In college, I first wanted to be a journalist, specifically a travel writer. I was also interested in…
