Go hunting a career like Proust did

I could not start writing this post without asking you: Why is it proved so difficult to go hunting a career? Maybe you have not stood up to this question in your whole life, and so it is not a problem at all. Perhaps because, as a child, you already knew what you would become as an adult. Or possibly just because it was not something to worry about once you had other purposes in life which seemed more interesting to pursue than this one like getting married, bringing up children, and taking care of your own family. If so, you might consider yourself as satisfied as Proust’s father who, being a doctor of international stands, summed up his existence as being happy all his life.

On the other hand, many people go through their whole life trying to figure out what on earth they are good at. For Proust, “hunting a career” showed itself something not reachable once the only thing he cared about was literature and this was not considered a respectable career to pursue in a late-nineteenth-century. Besides being in advance of his own time, Proust also took into account the necessity of choosing a profession that could satisfy his parents and keep himself in Paris. Otherwise, he would have to leave his beloved mother.

Reading about Proust’s life made me think of how stressful finding out a career that really suits your desires might be. Not because you do not know what sort of activities suits you better, but perhaps because you are not aware of the importance of hearing your inner voice. The only one that truly comes from your heart and, because you are worried about unimportant matters, you do not manage to hear it.

Those who are struggling to find out a career that brings out pleasure and satisfaction instead of sorrow to life should already know that this task is not as easy as it seems. On the contrary, it requires a lot of patience, self-knowledge, and humbleness. I think it is worth trying hard to find your purpose in life, because as Mark Twain said the two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.

Have you already found out your career or are you still hunting one?

Post based on the book HOW PROUST CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE (written by Alain de Botton).

http://alaindebotton.com/literature/
http://www.theschooloflife.com/london/