"What do you want to be when you grow up?" We are asked this question a million times as children. The younger, open-hearted, and carefree kids we all once were usually had an answer ready.
An astronaut. A dancer. A scuba-diver. A veterinarian. The list goes on.
While some of us clung to that childlike wonder and are currently pursuing the careers we've always wanted, a vast majority of us have lost that spark. We have lost that passion. We have forgotten who we are and replaced our identity with what society tells us it should be.
The number of people I've heard say that they chose a major because it would make them money in the future is flooring. I mean, I get it, we all want to be successful one day. But recently I've been asking myself, "Who decided being successful meant having money?" Why does your annual salary automatically determine your quality of life?
I pondered this for so long before I came up with a new definition of success. I think that success should be personal for everyone, but at the end of the day, can be measured by the state of your soul and how you feel about what you are doing. Ask yourself these questions:
Are you happy with what you are learning or doing for work?
Are you making a difference?
Are you doing something you are proud of?
Do you look forward to going into work every day?
Are you truly content with where you are?
If the answer to these questions is no, maybe a change is needed.
Know that work isn't going to be great all the time. That you won't love your job 24/7. It's about being able to look at the big picture and be passionate about what you're doing, through the good and the bad. For me, passion for what you do in life matters a whole lot more than how many figures you make.