Today, we have many more work options than we did just one hundred years ago, which undoubtedly makes the choice of work challenging. Naturally, we look for others to help us navigate, whether they be individuals we admire, family members, or something else. While this is a starting point, it almost always leads us astray because we begin to mute our inner voice.
However, when we see someone engage in interesting work—something it seems they were made for—and are inspired by it, that is vastly different. Maybe we’re seeing a musician like Jay Z, who hears a beat, gets in the recording studio without notes, and creates poetry. Or maybe it’s a professional athlete like Ronaldo, who is poetry in motion when he dribbles a soccer ball. We see these individuals in all walks of life and in all domains. They inspire us; they make us feel something inside that is not always obvious ourselves. To some, they spark a flame. Tiger Woods did this for many kids in golf; they saw him and were inspired to play; something they saw in him woke a dormant element inside them.
In this sense, we can find answers by observing others who found meaningful work. However, we lack autonomy when we outsource our search for meaningful work to someone else, whether they be a guidance counselor, parent, or friend—or any expert, for that matter.
Pave your own path.
