Already a member?
Welcome to Brazen Careerist!
J. Maureen Henderson is using Brazen Careerist to share ideas. Join now to become a member and start networking with J. Maureen Henderson and other professionals just like you. Learn more.
Email
Print
Hate To Break It To You is a recurring feature wherein we dispense succinct home truths that everyone could benefit from facing up to, unpleasant as they may be.
Photo by giarose
Not everyone grows up to be Gandhi. Not all of us are meant to change the world and live capital L lives. There’s only so much paradigm-shifting talent, opportunity and luck available and you’re not a failure just because you didn’t receive what you believe was your generationally-mandated portion of the above, although it’s easy to see why you might feel that way.
Those of us who grew up as part of the middle-class North American majority learned that we could be anything we wanted, but somewhere along the way, we got it twisted around in our heads that we had to be everything the world wanted/needed in order to be successful. Money wasn’t enough, nor was the love of family and friends, we wanted to matter, to make a difference, to prove ourselves, even if we couldn’t define exactly what this entailed. But we knew it was big, bigger than the lives we’re living now, bigger than our cubicle jobs, our weakness for reality tv and organic, fair trade espresso. You’re nobody until the Nobel committee comes calling. We’re not supposed to settle and settling has become anything less than being multi-tasking, globe-trotting, world-saving, well-paid, well-partnered prodigies. The desire not to hide our individual lights under a bushel is a laudable one, but not everyone is going to be a game changer. And there’s no shame or failure or inadequacy in working an “ordinary” job, in leading a quiet life, in surrounding yourself with a handful of close friends and family. In fact, those are the lives most of us end up with, with the smarter of us realizing that they’re every bit as meaningful as the marquee existences we feel we ought to aspire to. There doesn’t need to be a higher purpose, a greater mandate, a pissing contest of who has more frequent flyer miles and a bigger LinkedIn network. It’s okay not to end up a shining star and it’s more than okay not to have ever wanted to be one in the first place. It’s okay to work at Whole Foods or be a stay-at-home dad or never finish your PhD thesis. Never owning a home doesn’t make you a failure, nor does buying one four doors down from your parents. Who the hell cares if you’ve never even heard of Herzog and that you like Bon Jovi and drink PBR without a trace of hipster irony? These aren’t moral failings, folks.
I’m absolutely not telling you to give up on your dreams, or jettison your idealism in favor of the “simple” life. Both are valid choices and they aren’t even mutually exclusive. What I am encouraging you to do is to stop living for your legacy and to take a moment to examine the implicit privilege in assuming the self-imposed middle-class Gen Y burden of “making the world a better place” out of a sense of duty instead of genuine altruism (which I’d never argue against, obviously). You’re the one choosing that yoke and you can choose to cast it off. Noblesse oblige, especially of the guilt-driven variety, is totally overrated.
For more timely, relevant, and engaging articles,
subscribe to Brazen Careerist.
Comments
Editor's Note: Inappropriate comments that are offensive to the author or not in context to the author's post will be removed. For editorial feedback, please contact our Community Manager through his user profile. Click here.
February 8, 2010 3:35 pm
I think too many folks associate making "change" happen with being an epic figure in history or seeing some massive, overwhelming shift in society. The ego really gets in the way here, because this is why some people don't do the little nice things for each other that may seem insignificant or beneath them.
Setting up some vision for yourself where you achieve a level of happiness and alleviate a certain amount of suffering from the world is good in enough in itself. Anything else is extra.
February 9, 2010 10:55 am
Who knows if you'll change the world or not? Every worldwide sweeping change started out as a change in someone's local community.
Got Something To Say?
Got Something To Say?
Not a Member? Brazen Careerist is a career management tool for next-generation professionals. Set up a free account today to comment on this post and start sharing your ideas. Learn more.
Login to view your networks!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Grad School Zone
UVA (Darden) MBA Admissions Deadlines for 2010-2011
0 Comments
The University of Virginia's Darden School of Business recently published its application deadlines for the coming admissions season. Here they are, followed by our comments in italics:
READ MORE0 Comments
