When I was a child one of my friends said...

He was a ‘good boy’ [relative to the average...and, I suppose, yours truly]. He worked hard at school and got good marks. He went to university and got good marks. He applied to medical school and was accepted. He graduated and became a doctor…and has been one ever since.

I remember this so clearly because this fellow stands out as one of the very few people I have met who always knew exactly what he wanted in a career. 

***

When I was in Grade 8, we lived at the outskirts of Windsor near Windsor Raceway. Many of my friends had horses. One day, our teacher introduced us to career development. He asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. One of the boys in my class shocked all of us when he said he, "When I get a job it will be shoveling horse manure". At first, we were shocked into laughter...he did not use the word "manure"...he used the 4-letter slang word the rest of us would never use when a teacher was in the room. When our childish laughter died down, I noticed our teacher wasn't smiling. And, he wasn't angry. I recall his face clearly...he was concerned. One of the toughest boys in Grade 8 had just bared his soul...the boy's face was pained...and our teacher was concerned. The teacher spent the rest of the class trying to convince the tough boy to do more with his life than shovel horse manure. The boy kept saying, "Someone has to do it and it will be me".

We moved away from Windsor at the end of the school year. I do not know if my classmate ended up shoveling horse manure. However, when I think about this poignant childhood experience, in my imagination I see him doing what he said he would do.

***

Two of the last three books I've read contained the well-travelled Nietzsche quote,

“If you know the why, you can live any how.”

When I encounter synchronicities like that I always pause to think.

Many business author-gurus are using that Nietzsche quote to support their arguments in favour of having 'work purpose'.

One must know one’s purpose!

Many business author-gurus cite many reasons why, “One must know one’s purpose!”

As examples:

• If you have a definite purpose in life then you will enjoy your work and be self-inspired. 
• If you have a definite purpose in life then you know the direction of your career. 
• If you have a definite purpose in life then you will make better job/role choices. 
• If you have a definite purpose in life then it will be easier for you to figure out how to handle specific work tasks.

So, we can apply Nietzsche's advice on many levels, from 'BIG Picture' choices to small day-to-day decisions.

***

I do not meet many people who have a definite purpose in life.

Perhaps, 1 in 20 people can express their purpose in life. And, I know some will agree with that and say something like, “That’s exactly why so few people fail to achieve noteworthy success in life”.

Regardless, this winter I met a wonderful couple who have a wonderful farm-ranch, raise special horses...and are very happy shoveling after them.