In my journey to discover "what to do with my life", I uncovered a new question which must be answered first. This new question is: "Who Am I?"
Now, once this question was uncovered, it became obvious that there was no way to know how to best use my life (what to do with my life) if I didn't even know what my life was (who I am: what my skills/abilities/talents/attributes are).
Trying to choose a path in life without first knowing who I am is like wanting to use a tool to build something without even knowing what the tool does/is used for. If I have a crescent wrench that I'm trying to use to cut boards, I'm going to be very frustrated at the terribly slow progress I'm making. When I figure out that a crescent wrench is used to turn bolts, nuts, and screws then I won't keep trying to use it to cut boards.
It only makes sense that I must first identify who I am, what my gifts/skills/talents/abilities/attributes/motivations/passions/etc... are, so that I can then identify the best place to apply myself. If I choose a path to follow in life, a career for example, that doesn't best utilize all of the unique skills and passions that I have, I was going to end up being very frustrated, just like trying to use a crescent wrench to cut boards.
As I examined this question, I started remembering all of the different places I've seen this idea before.
The great philosopher Socrates said, "Know thyself".
It's also what Jesus talked about when he said, "I know who I am and where I am going."
The book "What Color Is Your Parachute" is the gold standard for finding a fulfilling career. Although first written back in 1970, it has been updated every year since then and, as of the 2009 printing, it has sold more than 10,000,000 copies. In this book, author Richard N. Bolles, also starts with this exact idea when he paraphrases Alexander Pope:
Know then thyself,
Do no the Market scan
Until you've surveyed all you are,
Then you will have your plan.
Bolles says, "Most job-hunters who fail to find their dream job, fail not because they lack information about the job-market, but because they lack information about themselves."
Before choosing a life path to walk down, you must first discover the answer to the question, "Who Am I?"
Now, once this question was uncovered, it became obvious that there was no way to know how to best use my life (what to do with my life) if I didn't even know what my life was (who I am: what my skills/abilities/talents/attributes are).
Trying to choose a path in life without first knowing who I am is like wanting to use a tool to build something without even knowing what the tool does/is used for. If I have a crescent wrench that I'm trying to use to cut boards, I'm going to be very frustrated at the terribly slow progress I'm making. When I figure out that a crescent wrench is used to turn bolts, nuts, and screws then I won't keep trying to use it to cut boards.
It only makes sense that I must first identify who I am, what my gifts/skills/talents/abilities/attributes/motivations/passions/etc... are, so that I can then identify the best place to apply myself. If I choose a path to follow in life, a career for example, that doesn't best utilize all of the unique skills and passions that I have, I was going to end up being very frustrated, just like trying to use a crescent wrench to cut boards.
As I examined this question, I started remembering all of the different places I've seen this idea before.
The great philosopher Socrates said, "Know thyself".
It's also what Jesus talked about when he said, "I know who I am and where I am going."
The book "What Color Is Your Parachute" is the gold standard for finding a fulfilling career. Although first written back in 1970, it has been updated every year since then and, as of the 2009 printing, it has sold more than 10,000,000 copies. In this book, author Richard N. Bolles, also starts with this exact idea when he paraphrases Alexander Pope:
Know then thyself,
Do no the Market scan
Until you've surveyed all you are,
Then you will have your plan.
Bolles says, "Most job-hunters who fail to find their dream job, fail not because they lack information about the job-market, but because they lack information about themselves."
Before choosing a life path to walk down, you must first discover the answer to the question, "Who Am I?"
My next post will look at some methods for discovering the answer to this question.
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