I’ve found that a lot of people have a stigma about the “What should I do with my life?” question. They fear it’s not a serious question, because it’s mostly about the job, not the heart, not character, not love, not issues that matter.
But it is about those things.
“What should I do with my life?” is the modern, secular version of the great timeless questions about our identity, such as “Who am I?” and “Where do I belong?” We ask it in this new way simply because constant disruption in our society forces us to—-every time we graduate, or get downsized, or move to a new city, we’re confronted with this version of the question.
It’s a little more pragmatic than its philosophical and religious antecedents, reflecting the bottom-line reality that we can search for our identity only so long without making ends meet. Asking the question aspires to end the conflict between who you are and what you do. Answering the question is the way to protect yourself from being lathed into someone you’re not.