Hi! 18-year-old here. I’m taking a gap year/gap years so I can figure myself out outside of education and to work on my mental health and stuff like that. Right now, I’m unemployed but job-searching, so I don’t really have anything going on in my life, besides me doing my hobbies (which are things that don’t require being outside or physical activity, like writing, watching movies, gaming, playing the bass, listening to music, Duolingo Spanish).
I’m sort of searching for a sense of purpose and direction in life. Right now I feel dissatisfied and restless, and I’m trying to figure out the world despite my lack of experience with it. I want to try meditation and look into that area of mindfulness to work on my relationship with myself and my thoughts.
I’m looking for a book that will be useful/valuable to me in some way. So, I guess I want you to think of a book you’ve read- nonfiction or fiction- that you think would be beneficial for me to read (or listen to, since I’ll likely be using Audible).
Any suggestions will be much appreciated!
by whorlaxdotorg
2 Comments
First, you are OK. I was in a similar place for a long time (I’m now 70 yrs old). Here are a few suggestions that you may find helpful.
1 – All work is good and nobel. Work helps other people, and helping others will make you feel valuable and important.
2 – It does not have to last forever – keep trying different things until one of them feels right.
3 – Create habits – teach yourself to start each day with a pattern of activity. What you do is not as important as the fact that you did it. (making your bed is an example, or sitting alone drinking coffee and thinking about your day) This will give you confidence that you are in control and that you are not a victim of the environment.
Read “A Man’s Search for Meaning” by Victor Frankel, and Steven Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People. Just find a way make reading a daily habit. Invest in yourself and everyone will benefit
What Color Is Your Parachute?
What Should I Do With My Life? by Po Bronson
The problem is that we as a society do a very poor job of exposing young people to various careers. We also do a poor job of helping young people understand themselves and their strengths and weaknesses, which can help them figure out which professions might best suit them. Trying on different professions for size should start in elementary school, by exposing kids to different work environments well before they are asked to make educational and career path decisions for themselves. I just want to say don’t be hard on yourself if you are struggling to choose a direction. This is common. I went through it; and I am watching my kids (who are just a few years older than you) go through it. It is not an easy process.
Also be aware that most people are employed in fields that are completely unrelated to their degree. I know someone who studied history who is now a general contractor. I had a liberal arts degree and now I work in healthcare. (Yes, I went back to school. Twice.) Most people are not on their Plan A or Plan B for their lives; more like Plan J or K. So don’t agonize too much about choosing a path. Just pick something and get started. A lot of progressing in life happens by the process of elimination. You try something. You discover you don’t like it. So you move onto something else. It would be great if we all got it right with our first try but it doesn’t always work out that way.