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Heyy, I'm finally getting around to that book list I wanted to do like... a month ago. Except I noticed the only reason I wanted to make a book list was so I could talk about this particular book. So, I'll just say what I want to say, sorry if it isn't very organized.
"I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was"
How to discover what you really want and how to get it
By Barbara Sher
Sounds corny, no? Well, like with anything that sounds corny, you get what you can out of it and leave the rest. Honestly, I haven't read the whole book. I skimmed and skipped, finding most of it interesting but wanting to get to something that really applied. The chapter I read straight through, and truly enjoyed, was number 9: "Help! I'm not ready to be born yet!". It was so... optimistic. And calming. And supportive. (Other chapters include I Want Too Many Things; I'm All Over The Map, I'm On The Wrong Track & Moving Fast, I Want Something I Shouldn't Want--It's Trivial Or Unworthy and I've Lost My Big Dream--There's Nothing Left) In one part it suggests as an exercise you write a 'Ninety-five-year plan' of your life. To sum up a couple paragraphs, you write a major event of something you imagine yourself doing that year. Obviously you can already fill things in for your past, but then you have to dream your future. Examples were: age one--got born, age five--moved to CA, age fifty-seven-- went to the Antarctic, age eighty-five--remarried. XD I didn't actually do it (though now I kind of want to) but the responses were so fun: "Adele, twenty-nine: The first shock was that I have plenty of time. Too much time. At sixty-five I couldn't think of anything else to do! I wanted to tell young people to quit worrying so much, and quit hurrying so much too". The chapter covered a pretty broad range of topics, including some things about trying out wrong jobs just for the experience, especially when you weren't sure what you wanted in the first place. Not everyone has the option of being unemployed for very long, but with enough resumes out somebody will hire you. People with criminal records get hired. But it just sounded so awesome. Not have to plan for a lifelong career? Have multiple jobs and even careers, on purpose? It's not so far out, many people end up doing nothing related to their degree. But it's just shrugged off as "oh well, not what I ended up doing". As long as they're happy, nobody cares. Why should everyone feel so pressured then to get that degree when they aren't quite sure what they're shooting for? There is no time limit for college. They don't stop accepting students when they turn 23. Haha, this is turning into an anti-school rant, but that's really just how I am.
If you get the chance, read the book though. You don't have to agree with every word, but get the ideas in your head. Realize options you didn't know you had. Most importantly, be happy.
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