I've always thought about what I would tell my children if they asked me what they need to do in order to be successful. I could tell them to work hard, make good decisions, save money, and all those commonsensical things. Or I could tell them to find out what their passion is and figure out what kinds of professions or careers deal with their passion. As the cliche goes, "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life." What if they aren't passionate about anything like their old man? It's easy to think that everyone is passionate about something. Off the top of my head, the first two things I think of when I think of what I'm passionate about are basketball and golf. Now I know I'll never be a professional athlete, at least not at my age. But what if I realized my passions at a young age? I'm sure, no matter how young I started honing my basketball skills, I would have never made it to the NBA. I might have had a better chance at golf, but who am I kidding? Of course I will encourage my kids to pursue whatever interests them, but I would also force them to go to school, get a degree, maybe 2, maybe a graduate degree. But now, at my age, can I still pursue something professionally that will make me happy? I mean, never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I would be doing what I'm doing, career-wise. I can see it now, I'm 10 years old and my Lola (grandmother) asks me what I want to do for a living. I jump up and down and tell her, "Lola, I want to be a.......(wait for it)....REVENUE ASSURANCE MANAGER!! I want to analyze financial data and reduce revenue leakage!! I want to write SQL and create macros in Excel!! Woo Hoo!!"
So, I've come to realize this, if my kids can't find something they are passionate about, then they should think about what kind of life or lifestyle they want to have. To me, having that lifestyle should make them feel successful. I would tell my children to first figure out what is important to them. Then I could tell them how to make decisions that cater to their priorities. I suppose it's all about how you define success. To me success is financial stability and independence. Success is finding someone to share your life with that wants everything you want. It's about being respected both professionally and personally. Success is having my parents proud of me. Everyone's definition of success is different. But once you've defined what it means to you, you can start making your life decisions to achieve it.
In many respects, I would consider myself somewhat successful. However, I would not tell my children to take my path. I would tell them there is a different path with more options for them. Success will be knowing that Anne and I will be able to provide that path for them.
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