Community Magazine February 2014

66 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE HOWTO CHOOSE A CAREER RABBI BENJAMIN RAPAPORT OUR CHOICE OF CAREER DETERMINES HOW WE SPEND A LARGE PART OF OUR LIVES. WORK THAT REALLY SUITS US, THAT TAPS INTO OUR RESERVOIR OF POTENTIAL AND CHALLENGES US TO BECOME OUR BEST, CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. IT MAY BE ENCOURAGING TO KNOW THAT THE STRUGGLE TO FIND A GOOD MATCH BETWEEN WHO WE ARE AND THE WORK WE DO IS NOT A NEW ONE. RABBENU BAHYE IBN PAKUDEI, IN HIS CLASSIC WORK DUTIES OF THE HEART ( HOVOT HALEVAVOT ), ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE AND OFFERS A BRILLIANT, FIVE-PIECE FRAMEWORK FOR FINDING A CAREER THAT REALLY FITS. Those five pieces are: Does it pull you? Just like a cat is drawn to mice, and a hawk is attracted to birds, we each have within us a natural, innate desire for a particular type of work. Does it match your resources? Birds that capture fish for their nourishment are endowed with a long beak and extended thighs. Lions, which tear apart other animals for food, have powerful teeth and claws. Likewise, our physiology and character are more suited for certain types of work than others. Are you willing to invest? Each profession has its hurdles to overcome; its entering price needs to be paid before it can be practiced. Medicine requires many years of study. Professional sports require years of serious training. When considering what you want to do, ask yourself if you are willing to pay the price it entails. Is the desire there? It is unlikely that you will always feel passionate about your line of work, but for you to love what you do, a certain level of vitality and absorption needs to be there at least some of the time. Do you have the proper emunah? Keep the faith that once all the above line up and you have committed yourself to whatever path it is, you will meet with success. Don’t get derailed the first time you get challenged, or even knocked down. Dig deep and stay the course. Four Common Obstacles But knowing how to choose well is not enough. We need to understand the four common obstacles that can often get in the way of being true to ourselves, and how to overcome them, in order not to lose the race before we even begin. 1 Approval and disapproval: We sometimes use career as a means through which to gain the approval or avoid the disapproval of those whose opinion we respect. This may be a parent, a mentor, or even the society we are part of. This is normal and natural, but can end up being very costly. Remember that no approval, outside of our own, is worth the price of our life. 2 Fear: Maximizing our potential in life often demands that we step out of our comfort zone and do things that are not yet familiar or comfortable. This can be scary. As human beings we crave certainty and safety, and embarking on unfamiliar terrain challenges this need. We need to remember that in every process of growth darkness always precedes light (Zohar) . Know that when we summon the courage to break through the clouds that we face, a sun is waiting on the other side. 3 Failure: No one likes failing, and because of that, many people are too frightened to try. When we feel like holding back because maybe we might fail, we need to remember Thomas Edison. He tried over a thousand different models before succeeding in making the light bulb. When asked about getting discouraged by his many failures, he replied that he never failed; he just learned one more way not to make a light bulb. So often the things that don’t go right are our best teachers. Ask any really successful person and he will tell you that it was only by making mistakes and learning from them that he was able to reach the achievements that he did. 4 Giving up too soon: It usually takes a significant amount of time and a lot of hard work to realize our dreams. Oftentimes, we underestimate what it takes, and then when things don’t happen as easily or as quickly as we would like, we feel like giving up. When this happens we need to remember the words of Rabbenu Bahye Ibn Pakudei and keep the faith. We should refuse to accept less from ourselves. As long as we keep on climbing, one day we will stand on top of that mountain of our dreams and marvel at how we got there. Finding a career that fits is one of life’s greatest opportunities. When we find the endeavor that pulls us, matches our natural resources, and inspires us with a vision of who we can become, our tremendous wellsprings of energy have the channel they need to rise up and brighten the world. Rabbi Benjamin Rapaport works with individuals and groups, helping them discover and develop their unique talents and abilities. He is the author of ‘The Jewish Art of Self-Discovery’, available on Amazon.