I listened to a podcast this morning with restaurateur Danny Meyer. He was planning on studying to be a lawyer. On the eve of taking the LSAT he had dinner with his uncle where it came up in conversation that he didn’t actually WANT to be a lawyer. Danny says the question his uncle asked was the most pivotal question of his life:
Uncle: Do you have any idea how long you’re going to be dead?
Danny: No.
Uncle: I don’t either, but I’ll tell you one thing it’s going to be a hell of a lot longer than you’re going to be alive. Why in the world would you do something you don’t want to do?
We all have responsibilities - bills and kids and (fill in the blank), but how can you adjust to fulfill both those and what you really want to do?
What interests you? What activity do you engage in that you dream of being your work, but isn’t yet? Why aren’t you pursuing it?