By Sheersho Zaman
Ah, yes. The age-old question. Everyone at least once in their lives has had to face this question, whether it was from elders or peers. To a lot of people the answer to this question comes as easily naming what one had for breakfast that day. To a lot of others though, it is as difficult as trying to find the Holy Grail. Well, if you’re a part of the latter group of people, this article is for you.
In today’s day and age, especially here in Bangladesh, there is a recurring pattern amongst the younger generations. When faced with the question of what exactly they want to do with their lives, it usually comes down to two options: being a doctor or an engineer. Those are both noble professions and brilliant things to go for, but at the end of the day how many of these “aspiring” doctors or engineers actually chose this path for themselves.
It’s almost an open secret that a lot of these people are simple “riding the bandwagon” or complying with their parents’ wishes. This is not usually due to being forced to do so, but mainly because these people have no idea what they want to do in their lives and hence go for what society termed as a “safe” line of profession. When asked about their “ambitions” the best answer they can probably muster is something along the lines of “a stable lifestyle” or “money.” Once again, those are great things to get in life, but they should never be the primary aim for someone.
So how is it that one finds this field that they are destined to? How exactly are they going to find that one thing that they will love doing as a job? More importantly, how will they find that one thing that they would love doing in general? A wise teacher once said, to a room full of students confused about their future, “The only reason you are so confused about what you want to do in life is because you guys never try anything new. If you want to find that thing you would love doing, then go out and try new things. Take up a camera and try photography. If you don’t like that, try your hand at sketching. What’s important is that you try new things and find that thing to calls to you.”
And that’s pretty much it. The younger generations are so caught up in their own academic or social lives that they never take up the time to really get to know themselves. They never spend time asking themselves what they want out of life. They never take the time to go out and try something out of the norm and see if it is to their liking. This is the reason people draw blanks when faced with questions about their futures.
It’s never too late to try something new in life. If something interests you, you should go out and try it. It is only in trying something new that people can find whatever it is that calls to them. So boys and girls go out and find your calling. In the words of the great Professor Keating from the classic “Dead Poet’s Society”, “Carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.”