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Interesting mix of careers in this thread.
Which made me think.
I know some people look for variety and others have it forced upon them, but here's my take on the secret to a successful life: Everyone has been given only one thing they're good at, above all else.
Call it a talent, a skill... it always shines above everthing else they attempt.
If they try something away from their calling, they crash--or are less effective than they could be.
My son has always been exceptionally talented at taking broken things apart and putting them back so they work. I've never seen anyone with such an ability at such an early age. At 6 he was fixing toasters.
So he become a mechanic, worked his way up to second in the country at his apprenticeship, then became skilled at fixing many high-end cars, Jag, Daimler, etc.
Now at 39 he has just become a top manager with Toyota where's he's been working for a decade or so. And I fear he will lose his natural advantage. His true calling will be buried, and he'll just be another suit in a faceless organisation. It happens to a lot of people who wonder where their life has gone.
A true calling can be recognised because:
- everything you do comes easily where others find it hard or onerous.
- you work in the 'flow' and time becomes irrelevant.
- in 5 minutes you accomplish what others need a manual and 5 hours to do.
I've tried many things, but have only had super-success at one thing - writing. It is a skill that pops up time and again. So in the last few years I have followed it relentlessly with great success.
And the biggest success in my own life in recent years has been to recognise this 'true calling' I have. My career path from now on is going to be pretty, pretty boring.
Ken Silver
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~1993 SL500, glistening triple black, xenons, AMG facelift to 2002 style.
~1999 SLK 230 Kompressor, silver/black leather, CD, immaculate
~1999 Lexus LX470, sand/ivory leather.
~1999 Suzuki Grand Vitara. black & silver.
~ex 350SL, 230E, 280E, MX5, Jaguar Daimler and a lot of other makes not nearly as nice.
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