Come Alive

“What should my child study in college?” is a question I get all the time. My response is always the same; 1) how in the hell would I know what your child should study in college, and 2) have your kid call me. I understand that parents care about their children, but the ones asking these questions would be better off telling their kids to figure this out for themselves.

When I get the chance to speak to young people about their career choices, the conversation is designed to reduce the stress and anxiety regarding this question. My first message is that it very often doesn’t matter what you study as an undergrad. Study what you find interesting, make good grades, join student organizations, learn to lead people, and chill out about your career prospects. You have ten-plus years to experiment and figure out what you want to be when you grow up.

Just because you may have an aptitude for a subject doesn’t mean that you should organize your life around it. I believe that strengths are things that make you feel strong. Pay attention to the subjects that truly capture your imagination and cause you to lose track of time. “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it, because what the world needs is people that have come alive.” Just because you made an A+ in chemistry doesn’t mean that you should be a chemist. What truly gets your motor running?

This is your life.  And you should write your own script. Look for meaning and fulfillment in your life’s work and you’ll spend most of your time doing things that don’t feel like work. That is my hope for my students, my children, and your children too.