The most important job in the world

What do you want to be when you grow up?

“An astronaut!”

“A ballerina!”

“A doctor!”

“An architect!”

“A princess!”

“An actor!”

“The boss!”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A question all of us heard growing up, probably more than once. The answer differs from person to person; from the predictable to the whimsical, and, finally, to the hilarious. For example, my uncle dreamed of one day being a garbage truck driver, something you don’t hear every day; whereas I proudly pinned “Scriptwriter” in my chest throughout my school recitals. Even though at the time it wasn’t clear to me what that entitled.

Nowadays, technological advancement leads to the steady disappearance of traditional jobs like postal workers, cobblers, train conductors, along with the multitude of things that smart machines can do faster, easier, and perhaps better than people. At the same time, the job market has expanded significantly, to cover the wide range of needs consistent to living in the 2020s. One should only think about Artificial Intelligence or Virtual Reality and it becomes abundantly clear.

Despite all that, despite the evolution, the comfort, and the collective wisdom within our reach, the narrative still largely excludes the only job that truly matters — to be a decent human being. We are accustomed to taking this status, this state of being for granted, like a condition met by default. We were born, so we are humans; it’s not like we’re animals, right? We breathe, we live, we enjoy free will and reason. But birthing doesn’t make us automatically humans. Through the mother’s labor, the infant is given the chance to become a human being through what they do in life and how they choose to live it.

It’s not just a question of species

We are taught good manners, we receive a more or less thorough education in school regarding an abundance of subjects meant to make us succeed in life, to have a comfortable, high-paying job, not worrying about tomorrow. We graduate with a degree often ill-suited for the reality encountered in the field. If we’re lucky, we also have some skills to facilitate our promissed victory. But neither covers the main topic: how to be human?

Naturally, schools are not the sole “offenders” in continuing this deceiving scheme. Society in its entirety teaches us the same thing, the education system is merely a reflection of that. In our own homes, on TV, at school, everywhere, we hear about different jobs and the importance of mastering one. Jobs of the past, jobs of the future, top 10 highest paid tops according to X or Y. And the human? It comes by default, of course.

So many people are prisoners in willful captivity, within jobs that bring them mountains of unhappiness and oceans of regrets, consoling themselves with the idea that their time will come, but without doing anything to that effect. Hoping in vain that things will work out and they’ll finally start living wholeheartedly. As if a penitence is necessary in order to reap the reward.

Under the illusion of an idyllic future, they sacrifice the present, thus risking to find out at the end of the road that a chimera has kept a veil on their faces. Nothing just falls in your lap. Life doesn’t work itself out, no matter how fervently you pray. You need to do your part. However, for that, you need to be human first.

But what does it mean to be human?

You become human by the sum of your actions, your thoughts, your choices, and your intentions. Through honesty, integrity, empathy, courage, generosity, selflessness. You become human through the smiles you offer freely, with honesty and warmth, through everyday compassion and random acts of kindness. By refusing to put the end before the means, by rejecting unfounded praise; through humbleness and by cultivating your intuition. You become human by living with your eyes wide open, constantly mindful of yourself and everything around you. By choosing to better yourself every day, to always evolve, to manifest and unleash your true potential. To be the best version of yourself, in grace and harmony. By choosing to swallow an angry retort and not succumbing to fury. You become human by leading a life with purpose, with joy and fulfillment, living every second to its fullest. Being present in your life and not waiting to tick off things on a deceptive and never-ending list before starting to enjoy it. Through a spiritual and moral cleansing.

Because the human being doesn’t inhabit a dirty vessel. You need to care for it first, purify it, make it shine, love it, accept it, strengthen it, fill it with what’s important. Only then you can call yourself HUMAN. And yes, at that moment all will arrange itself - the dream job, the ideal partner, the house, the car, and everything in between. But it matters less. These external things can come and go, but the human being within you remains and knows what you truly need. Focus on it. This metaphoric vessel is your mission and not what you find around it. Be careful what you fill it with and how you relate to it. In the end, this is your legacy, and not your business card or bank statements.

Life is the CEO and being human is your job

If you focus on being human, your day-to-day job (or even lack thereof) matters less. There may be times when you’re meant to be without one because there are important lessons to be learned from that experience. Live every moment through a filter of joy and never lose sight of the hidden opportunities that lay behind a seeming shortcoming.

Be human. And if you are, you already won. At life…

Originally published on Medium

Dear reader,

As always, thank you very much for reading and good luck in landing the most important job in the world :) Spread the love <3