Lexi Louis – Opinion Columnist

Gusties, as I’m writing this, JoIt is more important to find a profession that we are passionate about rather than finding one based on income. We spend a large portion of our lives working, so how we spend those years matters. It is beneficial to find a career that will fulfil those years with satisfaction and happiness.
“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” Mark Twain said.
Between our backgrounds, cultures and personalities, there may have been experiences that shaped our lives and who we are. Our friends and family may have noticed things we enjoyed doing in our free time or things we especially cared about. Discovering what we want to be can be difficult. Along our career journey, we have to be prepared for negative experiences so we can learn from them.
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness,” Oprah Winfrey said.
When we have a job that we love, we are more productive and satisfied. There is more enthusiasm to get up in the morning and begin working. There are more positive emotions associated with doing something we care about. Sometimes people choose a certain profession because of past experiences.
Someone may choose to be a comedian because they want others to be happy. Someone may choose to be a doctor because someone they knew was ill. Someone may choose to be a veterinarian because they care about animals. These past experiences may influence a career, and the career may provide more satisfaction and a sense of purpose. I think that these can be examples of resiliency, and how we can turn a negative experience into a positive one. Our preferences in careers can also reflect our personality.
The Myer Briggs personality test indicates sixteen different psychological types. The eight letters, EISNTFJP, describe our favorite world, our preferred way of perceiving information, our preferred way of decision making and our preferred structure of life. I think it is partly accurate in describing our personality and careers that would go well with it, but people may change.
Because we spend a lot of our life working, it is important to be comfortable with what we do. Extroverts enjoy being around others, so a job that involves more social interaction may be optimal. Introverts may prefer more alone time, so a job that involves less social interaction could be beneficial.
Some broad examples of careers that an introvert may thrive in are writing careers, health careers, or creative careers. Some examples of careers that an extrovert may thrive in are management careers, planning careers, or acting careers. I think that whether we are an extrovert or an introvert doesn’t decide where we should be. Someone can be an introvert and a successful manager, but it may require more energy.
We shouldn’t spend a lot of time worrying about where we should be. Things will fall into place as they are meant to. There isn’t one correct path and everyone’s lives are different. We may face challenges that bring greater outcomes later on.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards,” Steve Jobs said.
Some may argue that they need more money to survive and be happy. It is true that we need money to survive, but after a certain amount it doesn’t give us any more happiness. It provides for necessities like food, water, clothes, and shelter. It can also provide for luxuries like vacations and going out to eat at a restaurant.
“People tend to feel happier the more money they make, up until a point,” Princeton researchers Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton said. They estimated this “point” to be about $75,000 a year per person.
I think it is possible for an individual to be happy if they make under $75,000 a year. When we enjoy something, the feeling of enjoyment doesn’t last forever. We usually return to our baseline state shortly after. Every individual’s needs are different, but we can sometimes play a part in our emotional state. Having more luxury items and wants doesn’t bring happiness that lasts.
Not being afraid to fail will bring about success. Having a career that we are passionate about, one that gives our life a sense of purpose, and one that we are comfortable with is important. Finding a career shouldn’t be based on income or forced. We spend an enormous amount of our lives working, so we should spend this time doing something we enjoy.