Listening to Ke$ha's 'We Are Who We Are' really makes me wonder who we really are. Are we defined by our thoughts and ideas or does society mold us to become what we are now? Sometimes, I envy people who have a certain passion and focus in life. But since this privilege is not bestowed upon me and to millions, possibly billions of people who are confused of what their real purpose in life is, I guess it is better to just trust our hearts. No wait, heart, brain and guts.
Last night, I even told my brother that I want to try everything and not just focus on one profession for in these economically appalling times, having multiple skills and income sources truly saves you from headache and some depression. But while others are working on getting smart and diplomas on their chosen careers, I attend tons of seminars not directly connected to my core career. Often times, failing to keep up and understand a new career path seems inconsolable, but I have heard multitude of stories about successful people not in their chosen career. In this context, I mean what they have studied in college, but in other seemingly unexpected career springing from passion or just revivification of life, a.k.a. to kill boredom and find new meaning in life.
This holds true for Eleni and Jonathan in a very ‘inventive’ and shall I say ‘honest’ segment in Yahoo videos entitled ‘Yahoo Originals.’ At 46, Eleni is an owner of a cookie store in New York that specializes on highly-decorative cookies. She said that she left the corporate world and decided to enter the cookie business, something that she never really expected. Nevertheless, she reiterates that she does not have regrets and is even happy with this creative and playful industry of making baked goods. Eleni’s story echoes the sentiments of Jonathan’s. At 38, Jonathan was pushing himself to the rigors of the music industry that he did not keep track of his weight – of the ‘bear’ that he has become of. So he began looking for things until a trapeze class caught his attention. This unusual type of exercise regimen made him slimmer and vibrant and he decided to make it a business. In the first year of the operation of his trapeze school in New York, the business was already profitable. Thus, he branched out to other cities and the rest is history. He told Yahoo when he looks back on what he has been through, he’s just thankful about landing in the circus arts business. ‘It truly changed my life,’ he adds.
At this point in time, I haven’t decided what to do in life. But I put off torturing and telling myself “you have to work on a goal; to focus on one profession to be immediately rich and successful.” Maybe I really don’t want to be filthy rich but sometimes our family and society directly or indirectly dictates it. Or maybe ‘seeks’ it; seeks to find rich and talented people that will give back the blessings of success. And this is why I believe that great and rich people want to be rich or successful. They are doing it for something greater than satisfying their wants. After all, money is really paper. What else can you buy if you’ve already got the material things you want in life? I still believe that not everything has a price tag.
I am 25 and I really don’t know what to do. But who knows, I’d have some direction like Eleni and Jonathan when I become older. Who are we to say that it’s over when we reach 30 or 40? Who are we to say that change is impossible? Who are WE? I guess we are who we are. Even if we do not have an accessible definition for this right now.
