Have you heard that Asian parents are known to turn their children into over-achievers, so much so that they never feel like they're enough for who they are? That's not a myth! That's the reason you see Jack Ma, Masayoshi Son, Sundar Pichai or Indra Nooyi. Middle class Indian parents are a special breed... I LOVE them! Guess why? Because they give you only two things to choose from - pursuing engineering or medicine. Anyway, it's unfair to attribute this only to Indian parents. I have tons of non-Asian friends who told me the same thing as well. The point is, our parents want us to have the very best (read safe) in life, and them setting our goals for us is one way to keep us safe. So, till you have landed the over-achiever friendly job, your purpose is to fulfill your parents dreams. But what happens eventually if you don't feel happy in these professions?
No one teaches us to navigate these mid career dilemmas. Yet I believe our careers and purpose are intrinsically interlinked. Sometimes so much that we link our happiness to it!! And yet we tend to settle for the jobs that pay the bills. I wonder why... any ideas? Let me know.
