Challenge and survival
Ryan Holiday, in The Daily Stoic, expressed that we have two essential tasks in life: to be a good person and to pursue the occupation that you love.
That seems ideal, I thought.
Being good is sometimes relative. And I believe no one in this world is a truly “good” person. Life isn’t supposed to be lived in a straight line. It is a forest without us knowing what’s out there. We have to make mistakes to learn and grow. And we have to act on what’s thrown at us. We aim to be good. But it would be a constant test, a never-ending challenge.
The second task falls in line with the follow-your-passion cliche. I just don’t subscribe to it anymore. If I were to ask five people right now if they love their current job, I doubt I would get a yes answer. Nowadays, most people do not have the luxury of choosing jobs. It is enough to put food on the table. As for me, I don’t love my job as much as I love making money. Seriously. I have a lot of interests but I’m stuck practicing my profession. And it’s not always that I would get the opportunity to earn in doing the things that I want. It’s good to have a job that you truly love and pays well at the same time. But for now, it is about survival.