Right Livelihood
God says, ‘Choose what you will and pay for it.’
In my senior year of high school, it was time for me to start thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, and while my parents pressured me to decide what career I wanted to pursue in college, I wanted to do something I knew I would enjoy doing as a career. Once I told my parents about my plan, they disagreed. They claimed that that career would not bring me any money and would struggle in the future. “Think carefully about your choices. We don’t want you coming to us complaining after we have spent thousands of dollars on tuition,” they said. I wasn’t exactly mad at my parents when they said this. I knew they wanted the best for me and to succeed. Still, I was sad that I didn’t have their support on something I liked doing. It’s kind of hypocritical of them to say this after they have told me most of my life, “Follow your passions, do something you like and enjoy doing, so you don’t have a miserable life.” However, their words made me think about the consequences I could get in the long run, and I felt like risking wasn’t the best thing to do in this case, at least not in this economy.
In Do What You Love And The Money Will Follow by Marsha Sinetar, she mentions how risk can be a form of outward expression and creativity, stating,
“They have a sense of their own worth and are likely to experiment, to be creative, to ask for what they want and need. Their high self-esteem and subsequent risk-taking/creativity brings them a host of competencies that are indispensable to locating work they want. They also develop the tenacity and optimism which allows them to stick with their choices until the financial rewards come. They are life affirming. For them, work is a way of being, an expression of love.” (p. 12)
I agree that risk-taking can help someone’s true self improve because we can learn from our mistakes. If someone wants to do something they like doing and decides to follow that as a career, they have all the right to follow that path. But this doesn’t apply to those who just can’t afford to risk. I am honored to be able to attend college with my parent’s financial support (something that my parents couldn’t do) and pursue a career that I know will bring me financial stability. Maybe I don’t enjoy this chosen career, but at least I know my future is secured. Risk is something that I see others take, and when they take these risks, it doesn’t end as they imagined it. I have family members who have pursued a career they choose to do, something they like, and end up struggling with their parents because they can’t find a job. They end up working on something they don’t enjoy or have to spend money on another career. These are the things I have learned that have helped me think about my choices more carefully.
