Thankfully you don't have to choose to be like one or the other. You don't have to emulate anyone, or follow anyone's path. The path is yours and yours alone, and no two paths are alike. There will be others who share the path from time to time. Ultimately, however, only you arrive at your destination. It is yours, just as everyone else has their own destination and arrival.
So.....don't bother comparing yourself to others because they are not you. You are unique. So am I.
And it's not a race.
Let's examine our family to see how others have started and where they are now. Note: we are not comparing ourselves to them...we are only looking at them because curiosity is healthy. I'm going to break the family down into two groups: fast starters and false starters (though not rabbits and hares).
Fast starters: I see this group as lucky, though I am not one of them. The fast starters had an early vision for their future, stuck with it and seemed content with their lot.
Jason: Jason had a vision to become a physiotherapist. He hit some bumps along the way, but pretty much stayed on the rails.
Wendy: she had an early vision, kept her head down and plodded through to the other side. There were challenges along the way (turned down by UofT opera school), but she persevered. Wendy worked as a telemarketer and a grocery store clerk after she got her Master's degree.
Paul: took a job in the forestry service and stuck with it, seemingly content.
Kristy: got an education degree, became a teacher (sounds almost easy).
Mootha: worked in a bank which set her up for a life of monetary appreciation (I have n'a got oeny money). Mom wanted a family and she was a pro.
False Starters: Not an unlucky group by any means, this group went down a few paths before finding one that suited them. I don't like the word 'false' because every start is real, but I'm using it anyway.
Ian: Agricultural College...hello? I have no regrets going there, but it probably wasn't my smartest career move.
Erik: he was destined to sell something, but stints in car sales and insurance didn't pan out so well.
Alex: enrolled at university but didn't follow through with it. Floated from one thing to the next for years.
Doug: started with an English degree and worked in 'communications'. Seems laughable, in hindsight.
Todd: too many false starts to mention. Seems to finally be on track, at 40.
Dana: I'm not sure if he had a vision for the future, but he got shafted along the way by those who were there to help him.
Gup: Gup's first foray at university did pan out. Of course there was a war that didn't allow him the opportunity of following through on his initial, though likely misguided, studies. The war gave him a new perspective. Bring on war!!
Linda: home economist? Not.
Joan: teacher? Not.
Dippy D: music degree at Acadia? Not.
In a league of their own: Okay, we need a third group, mostly for Uncle Tom and Lilian. Actually, I can't comment on them as I don't know if they followed a path or experimented along the way. And then there's Graeme (the best plumber in Britain). Nuff said.
There are no rabbits and turtles. There's just you, me and the great them.
If you are defined by what you do for a living, then I pity you. I hate when people ask me what I do for a living, because that doesn't speak to who I am. If you're defined by your morals and beliefs, by what you stand for and what you stand against, then I say 'lucky you'. If you don't know what you stand for and stand against, stay tuned, you soon will. Likely it will evolve over time, becoming sharper and more focused.
Be patient. Be curious.
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