"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord."

Colossians 3:23

I can remember being in high school, doing career placement tests with my class, and getting the results that told us what path we should follow. It was so confusing. There were so many options, and most of the results I got, I didn't really like. But that's what I should do, isn't it? If the test says I should be something, I should be it. Right?

The message we were sent in high school was to find something we loved, and major in it. We were given such high expectations; we expected that our passion in life would be listed on a college programs list. We went into college thinking our true purpose was to be successful in a career that we would devote our life to. We were all expected to find a career that would make us look forward to going to work every morning. We searched and searched to "find" that career path. What if you never find it?

I started my college career with a blaring "Undecided" where my major should be listed on my transcript. The question came every family dinner, every Sunday morning after church, and every time I turned around: "What do you plan on doing after college?" Well, I didn't know. I didn't know what I wanted to do, and I didn't know how to answer that. I was embarrassed, and I usually answered with the best approximation to my dreams that I could think of. Shouldn't I have my life figured out by now?

Now I'm beginning the downhill slope towards senior year. Or uphill slope, depending on how you look at it. I still don't know what office or school or business I will be sitting in five years. I will work. I will find the best job I can, and I will give it all my effort because I value hard work. But I look around and so many people around me have plans for their dream career, or at least, a clear cut path to what they hope to accomplish. I don't know whether I will be a counselor, or a teacher, or a human resources personnel, or a baker, or a writer, or a roller coaster designer for all I know.. I don't understand how so many people around me are so sure of their plans. How do you cut a path like that and just go for it? What if you hate what you have devoted so much time and money into?

Those are my fears and the questions that keep me up at night. I'm writing this because I know there's someone out there who shares these questions and fears. Whoever you are, you are probably so unsure of yourself that it scares you. You have spent all this time hoping it would just "come to you" like some epiphany. Well, here's what I've learned: it probably won't. You probably won't fall into the career of your dreams just by happenstance discovery. But that's all right.

Consider this: Some people don't wake up every day and revel in the joy of going to their job. That's life, and it's all right. If I have learned anything in college, it's the value of hard work, tough skin, and faith. Work hard to be successful at your job. Not everything will be handed to you on a silver platter; you have to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and make something of yourself. You have to have faith that God will guide you and help you. All seriousness, don't stay at a job that's going to make you miserable all the time. But that being said, it's alright if your career isn't your one true joy in life. We have been told all our lives to find something we love to do, and we'll never work a day in our lives. For some, that will work out great, and I applaud you for reaching your goals. For others, a career isn't everything. There are so many other joys in life besides your career!

Some people may look forward to the day when they can go overseas as a missionary. Some may have dreams of traveling to Europe or the West Coast. Some people, such as myself, look forward to the day when you're sitting in the porch swing while your husband rocks your baby. If you have dreams other than a career, or if you don't find your passion and purpose in a job, that's all right. You are a person who is defined by the simpler things in life, and that doesn't make you any less of a person. You are a rare breed in the fast paced world we live in, where you are looked down upon if your dreams don't include a doctorate degree or a 70-hour work week. I've been where you are, in a classroom full of people hoping to relocate hours from home in pursuit of a career that's only fleeting.

Most importantly, you don't have to have the super career in order to be successful, hard-working, passionate, or joyful. Your success just isn't defined by the number of hours you work. Your work ethic is defined by the effort you put in to do your best at your job, even if your job isn't your life. Your career is a beautiful way to provide for the things that are truly important to you. You can find joy in your job, but your job doesn't have to be your true source of joy.

Be diligent in your schoolwork, and in planning your career path. Work ethic is a virtue, and hard work is to be praised. But at the end of the day, if you don't find yourself wanting to spend your life in your office, don't feel like any less intelligent, hard-working, or passionate.