My Philosophy

(I am large, I contain multitudes.) - Walt Whitman

Do you ever contemplate the profundity of being human? Specifically, a human who gets to exist in this wild, unpredictable universe?

Each of our lives barely registers for a blip of time on the universal clock. And collectively, we only understand our existence to the limits of scientific discovery and theory. Beyond that, the opportunity to be human seems like magic.

We are chaotic, irrational, emotional beings. AND we have the mysterious gift of consciousness (which, in its own right, is mind-bending)!

The mere fact that we are sentient creatures renders us too big to fit neatly into boxes, yet here we are. Society has conditioned us to dim the light on our brilliantly complex, multifaceted selves. We’re expected to play small, adhere to external expectations of who we should be, and plot a linear timeline for our lives.

We’ve tamed ourselves into vanilla oblivion… and for what?!

As children, our life is a blank canvas, wide open to opportunity and possibility. We’re taught a smattering of different subjects in school, encouraged to try different sports, instruments, artistic modalities and vocations. We’re offered space to foster our creativity. We are raised as generalists.

Then, the moment we transcend our adolescent incubator, our freedom to roam skids to a halt. We’re thrust into a specialist world with narrow, claustrophobic silos. Upon entering college and/or the workforce, we’re pressured to identify ONE singular discipline that we’ll dedicate the entirety of our careers (and lives) to.

That’s it…ONE THING.

And the kicker?? This decision is based on an unfounded assumption about what we think we’ll like and who we will be.

Let’s pause for a moment and recognize how absolutely bonkers that actually is. A massive, life-altering commitment, and we’re expected to make it without any meaningful, hands-on experience. It’s a total shot in the dark.

I reject this approach in its entirety. Crumple up the blueprint and throw it in the trash.

Why? Because it assumes that, as humans, we don’t grow. It assumes we’re stationary in our beliefs, worldview, values and scopes of knowledge & understanding.

Hard stop. This is why forced specialization leads to burnout and resentment mid-career.

Multi-passionate humans are colorful, vibrant, creative beings. We’re not meant to be contained. We’re meant to expand in infinite ways. Our careers should be a reflection of WHO we are, WHAT we value, WHY we do what we do, and HOW we operate when performing at our peak. Our careers should unfold alongside our lived experience, with one opportunity unfurling into the next as we cultivate an understanding of what we actually like and what matters to us.

I believe in building uniquely curated paths that flex and evolve along with our personal evolution. Our careers are not a ladder to be climbed, they’re a playground to be experienced.

Navigating adulthood in a specialized world can rob our spirits of wonder and awe. As the years progress, our untapped dreams dry up and fall away. Our identities become inextricably linked to our unfulfilling, specialist jobs and our golden handcuffs lock us into place. We forget the essence of who we were and our creativity is weathered. Despite having a career that looks aces on paper, we find ourselves surviving, not thriving.

We never intend to lose ourselves, but life has a way of watering us down. And in order to replenish our vibrance, it becomes our individual responsibility to reject the norms that keep us small and finally heed the hum of agitation we’ve been feeling. We won’t embrace and become our full selves until we respond to the persistent inkling that we are meant for so much more.

Enter, career design.

Designing a fulfilling career begins with a deep level of self-awareness and understanding. As Eckhart Tolle says, “Awareness is the greatest agent for change.”

When we learn who we are and what actually matters to us, we revive our dreams and equip ourselves with the drive to craft our aligned path forward. We reignite our self-belief and attune to our curiosity & creativity. We crystallize our WHY and envelop ourselves in a sense of purpose. We remind ourselves how damn big we truly are. And we finally have the conviction to create the massive impact we know we’re capable of.

As humans, our existence is both minuscule and magnificent. It’s an unbelievable opportunity, and we have exactly one go at it. Let’s see what we can make happen.

“Learning stuff [is] less important than learning about oneself. Exploration is not just a whimsical luxury of education, it is a central benefit.” - Range, david epstein