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And the crisis continues
acomplishedartis:
Ey Alex, thanks for replying (I thought I was going to be the one making the last post on a tread once again), I am glad you appreciate the good words that you have heard around here.
Here is a line I once wrote in some of my personal notes... you might like it:
''Never say that you are not going to fall no matter what, let's better say that we are ready to fall if something bigger does not stop us! Because all we need to fall is just one simple impulse. Our will is simply a matter of cause and consequence and we should take these on account also when we judge others.''
I hope you didn't imply that I think that making and appreciating all art is a useless thing, because I don't. I just talked about oversaturating our selves with some things of little value (like certain video games, tv shows, movies and music scenes) that control us. I can appreciate descent music, painting, poems, etc.. it just try to don't make of it an idol to me anymore.
Anyway. Here I found Ray's old reply to your email:
Dear Alex: The main criteria in selecting an occupation or profession is whether you can obey God doing the things that your particular profession requires. Could you be a policeman? Possibly, but it would be hard to justify shooting people if necessary. Medical doctors pus h drugs. Many drugs are extremely harmful, whereas a few are very beneficial. But there are certain protocols to administering proper medications for virtually all diseases. You will not last long if you buck the system and decide for yourself which drugs you will or will not administer. See what I mean? If you had your own private practice, it is more feasible to stick to only low-risk, very beneficial drugs, but when you are coming up through the ranks, you do not have this privilege. Can one be a lawyer and be totally obedient to God? Yes. Will you be very successful, as the world measures success? Maybe not.
Etc. This is a big topic, and I do not like to get involved in making such decisions for anyone. This is an area you must look at very carefully for yourself, I'm afraid.,
God be with you,
Ray
These short answer had speak volumes to me...
keep on going. I guess there is still a long life road in front of us.
Extol:
Hi Alex!
John from KY asked you if you really really want to be a doctor, and you replied that you do. But also ask yourself this: Do you want to put in all the work (including the dreaded studying) to become a doctor?
I have wanted to do a lot of things but realized after awhile that I didn't want to do the work. An example of this is foreign languages. For years I thought it would be awesome to know multiple languages. There have been at least ten times in my life when I excitedly purchased/borrowed a book/tape/CD of a foreign language, determined to teach myself. One of my favorites was Russian. Several times I would keep up with it for a few weeks and learn a lot of words and phrases, but it always waned. Finally I asked myself "Why am I doing this?" I came to the regrettable (but relieving) conclusion that I simply didn't want it that much. I didn't want to do all the hard work and study. I didn't know any Russian people, and I probably never would; I like to travel so I might visit Russia someday, but if I did, it'd be only for a few days. Of course, there is a big difference between helping people as a doctor and learning a language just for the heck of it. But the point is, we can't just become something without effort, study, and hard work. We have to decide whether we want to put in the effort.
There are several careers which I'd love to have, but are nonetheless not meant for me. I love sports, and I think it'd be a blast to have a career in them, such as:
-Pro tennis player (not nearly talented enough! This goes for all sports by the way :P)
-Front office position for a Major League Baseball team (no...business classes would put me to sleep zzzz).
-High school coach/instructor (nah...too many boring medical/anatomy/nutrition classes to take).
Etc. Etc.
Like you, I'm not the best study-er in the world. About half an hour is all I can take at one time. To help me get through school, I decided to choose subjects that interest me, and will not bore me. In this way, I've kinda done the opposite of what you've done. You're thinking of the job but don't want to do the studying. I'm doing the studying without thinking of a career. Instead of focusing on a career that's down the road, I've chosen a degree (Religion) that fascinates me and will motivate me to study and do well. What will I do with it? I don't know. There are a lot of possibilities, such as teaching, charities, disaster relief, museums, publishing houses, etc. I'm trying not to think too much about it; God will have the pieces fall in place. I'm concentrating on the school, not on future career possibilities. Since I don't have one particular career in mind, I figure I'll make school as fun as possible by picking a degree that I enjoy. There are many career paths for which you simply need a Bachelor's degree, no matter the subject. I think people put a lot of unnecessary pressure on students when they ask "What are you going to school for?" or "What do you want to be?" Not all of us know. 8)
If you decide to pursue something else (whether by choice or necessity), you may want to look into things that you enjoy and are passionate about; something like art/game design, music, etc. This would make studying more tolerable, and maybe even fun! Don't be discouraged that people in those fields don't help others as much as doctors. Our jobs shouldn't define who we are as people. L. Ray Smith was a roofer! Who among us will remember him as a great shingle cutter?
You're still a young man and there's no shame in not having a successful career at this point; there's also no shame in changing your mind about what you are going to do. I'm 27 and I just recently settled on a major; and I still have two years to go to get it! :)
Much love to you brother!
grapehound:
AMEN Extol. Well said.
lilitalienboi16:
--- Quote from: Extol on June 27, 2011, 01:23:25 PM ---Hi Alex!
John from KY asked you if you really really want to be a doctor, and you replied that you do. But also ask yourself this: Do you want to put in all the work (including the dreaded studying) to become a doctor?
I have wanted to do a lot of things but realized after awhile that I didn't want to do the work. An example of this is foreign languages. For years I thought it would be awesome to know multiple languages. There have been at least ten times in my life when I excitedly purchased/borrowed a book/tape/CD of a foreign language, determined to teach myself. One of my favorites was Russian. Several times I would keep up with it for a few weeks and learn a lot of words and phrases, but it always waned. Finally I asked myself "Why am I doing this?" I came to the regrettable (but relieving) conclusion that I simply didn't want it that much. I didn't want to do all the hard work and study. I didn't know any Russian people, and I probably never would; I like to travel so I might visit Russia someday, but if I did, it'd be only for a few days. Of course, there is a big difference between helping people as a doctor and learning a language just for the heck of it. But the point is, we can't just become something without effort, study, and hard work. We have to decide whether we want to put in the effort.
There are several careers which I'd love to have, but are nonetheless not meant for me. I love sports, and I think it'd be a blast to have a career in them, such as:
-Pro tennis player (not nearly talented enough! This goes for all sports by the way :P)
-Front office position for a Major League Baseball team (no...business classes would put me to sleep zzzz).
-High school coach/instructor (nah...too many boring medical/anatomy/nutrition classes to take).
Etc. Etc.
Like you, I'm not the best study-er in the world. About half an hour is all I can take at one time. To help me get through school, I decided to choose subjects that interest me, and will not bore me. In this way, I've kinda done the opposite of what you've done. You're thinking of the job but don't want to do the studying. I'm doing the studying without thinking of a career. Instead of focusing on a career that's down the road, I've chosen a degree (Religion) that fascinates me and will motivate me to study and do well. What will I do with it? I don't know. There are a lot of possibilities, such as teaching, charities, disaster relief, museums, publishing houses, etc. I'm trying not to think too much about it; God will have the pieces fall in place. I'm concentrating on the school, not on future career possibilities. Since I don't have one particular career in mind, I figure I'll make school as fun as possible by picking a degree that I enjoy. There are many career paths for which you simply need a Bachelor's degree, no matter the subject. I think people put a lot of unnecessary pressure on students when they ask "What are you going to school for?" or "What do you want to be?" Not all of us know. 8)
If you decide to pursue something else (whether by choice or necessity), you may want to look into things that you enjoy and are passionate about; something like art/game design, music, etc. This would make studying more tolerable, and maybe even fun! Don't be discouraged that people in those fields don't help others as much as doctors. Our jobs shouldn't define who we are as people. L. Ray Smith was a roofer! Who among us will remember him as a great shingle cutter?
You're still a young man and there's no shame in not having a successful career at this point; there's also no shame in changing your mind about what you are going to do. I'm 27 and I just recently settled on a major; and I still have two years to go to get it! :)
Much love to you brother!
--- End quote ---
Thank you brother, great words of wisdom indeed. I suppose there are so many ways to look at this, I Just can't figure out which one is the right one. One thing is for sure, i need to relaxeeeeee, chill out and let the Master Builder build this home His way, the right way! I know everything will work out for the best in the end but sometimes, i just go nuts. Your right.. there are way to many pressures on us as students, even from a family perspective as well. The world expects so much out of us so quickly and I never liked the way the world did things, I don't know why I think it would be doing it right this time around when it comes to my education.
Your words have comforted me as well, i'm glad i'm not the only one in their mid twenty's still in school.
lilitalienboi16:
--- Quote from: Moises on June 28, 2011, 04:52:03 AM ---I feel I am starting to talk too much around here but ho well, I have some things to say and ask on the topic.
--- Quote from: Extol on June 27, 2011, 01:23:25 PM --- I think people put a lot of unnecessary pressure on students when they ask "What are you going to school for?" or "What do you want to be?" Not all of us know. 8)
--- End quote ---
A few years ago I took that burden up. It is a very heavy one. Because one the first question people in general ask often is 'what do you do?', and from there we easily judge and put them faster on a box file with out even knowing first about other important things like their character, passions and personality.
--- Quote from: Extol on June 27, 2011, 01:23:25 PM ---
If you decide to pursue something else (whether by choice or necessity), you may want to look into things that you enjoy and are passionate about; something like art/game design, music, etc.
--- End quote ---
I agree it is a good idea to look for things that we already have skills and know about. However:
If you like it, and enjoy it and are passionate about that is not enough for us, I have heard the phrase ''whatever you do as long as you like it or enjoy doing it... that is good''. But there is more important things than our personal feelings and likes or dislike to be put on the table as well, Ray said the one of the most important thing on that email replay:
''The main criteria in selecting an occupation or profession is whether you can obey God doing the things that your particular profession requires.''
And we could go on and on regarding all the things involved in so many particular professions. (today, there is so many lame occupations all around)
--- Quote from: Extol on June 27, 2011, 01:23:25 PM ---Our jobs shouldn't define who we are as people.
--- End quote ---
I agree (On one side) since I believe that we are what we think about all day long.
On the other side: it would be very hard to tell that phrase truth to a long time hooker, drug dealer or greedy pastor.
However, people can change.
The thing is to make somehow something usefull for others while we try to survive, right? Being a roofer, a fisherman, a carpenter, a welder, an honest healer (Dr.), etc. is awesome, they are producing meaning full things for others I believe.
Anyway, I still have many question and research to do in all these topic about 'occupations and tryting to obey God'... I also agree with Ray that
''This is a big topic, and I do not like to get involved in making such decisions for anyone. This is an area you must look at very carefully for yourself, I'm afraid.,''
--- End quote ---
Words of wisdom again! Very much agreed.
As for doing something I enjoy and am skilled at, I don't know why my skills are, i don't think I have any special skills. I just enjoy doing certain things, I want to be certain places and that's all I know.
Like the wind, I don't know where I'm going and that can be scary sometimes :/
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