Today I would like to share a story with you:
One day a leaf fell in a park in Whittier, California. It landed on the forest floor and a big green caterpillar that was inching along had to make a sharp turn to avoid it. The caterpillar came to a log, crawled up the side and just as it reached the top of the log a man came by and sat down, squishing the caterpillar.
The man jumped up, felt the goo on the seat of his pants and so he went home, changed his clothes, and took his pants to the local cleaners. While he was there he met a young woman and started a conversation which continued at a nearby coffee shop. They began to date, fell in love, married and had a child. Their son being very clever did well in school, became an attorney and then went into politics, rising in his party.
And so, because a leaf fell in a forest one day, blocking a caterpillars way forward, Richard Nixon became the president of the United States.
This story is shared by Burt Goldman, and I share it because so many of us become so attached to the idea of a career and that without a career we feel confused and have no idea what our purpose is.
I have felt like this lately. There is no evidence on my resume that there is a core thing that I am interested in doing. I have done many jobs and have had a variety of commitments, but I have no idea what my aim is. What am I going for? What profession am I building or pursuing? What is it that I want to do?
I felt kind of sad with myself that my pursuit wasn't clear. I have no clue what pathway I am going for. So when Burt told this story I immediately felt better. Relieved that a career didn't matter as much as what I felt excited or keen to enjoy doing right now.
Two insights came from this story and I felt they were worth sharing with you to help you stay in touch with what actually matters in your life.
1. A career can be seen as our pathway through life
Steve Jobs gave a commencement speech back in 2005 and said "You cannot connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward." It inspired me when I first heard this, but years later I now understand it even more. I stopped trying to figure out my future and instead honour the path that I have created so far and stay curious about what lay ahead.
I prefer to think of a career as Burt Goldman does - that it is simply a pathway through life. Some employers will only prefer you if you've shown stability in a field; others will value the diversity of experiences you bring. It's part of the reason why I must have left Sydney; I didn't feel recognised for who I truly am, and when I entered hospitality in Canada, no strict history was required for me to show my potential, and to be great at my job.
I would bet that your pathway through life so far has been varietal if not spontaneous. Because that's who we are when we're young. Curious, thoughtful and keen beans. The least we could do to honour that is to not let ourselves slip in to what society claims is a life lived successfully.
2. Even seemingly inconsequential choices have a profound effect
The older I get the more value I place on the small decisions I make. The toothpaste I use, paying twice as much for better quality chocolate, getting a memory foam pillow. The long-term effect is obvious - a simpler life, more time with people I care about, and greater quality of the time I spend. I realise that this is what luxury is; When we honour the small choices we make in honour to create a life that is worth living to us.
Breathing healthy is luxury. Waking up with a fresh mind is luxury. Having good skin is a luxury.
It's not jet boats, first-class flights or a $5,000 handbag. That's just bougie.
My point is, whether you realise it or not your micro choices create your lifestyle. The more aware you are of these choices, the greater access you have to a better quality, more wonderful life without making drastic changes.
Burt's story is simple, but it tells us a lot. We gloss over moments in life that feel inconsequential yet lead us to the very path we didn't expect to make our life so meaningful. I'm not saying we have to obsess over little details but in my experience, when I've slowed down enough to ponder the little things, life just feels more wonderful. And the career part - even finding out my purpose - is like a bonus.
Love,
Jules
