Commenters can be such critics. A response to those that scoffed Janelle Quibuyen’s article in Quartz, talking about the realities around working for yourself.
It seems the intent of this piece is to lend perspective to the flippant message that pervades American society, especially in the younger generations, that if you aren’t entrepreneurial and trying to figure out how to do your own thing, you’re giving up and your success in context of other kinds of work is not meaningful. As a Gen-Y’er myself (now lumped into the Millenials categorization), we’re pounded with “lifestyle design” messages that suggest you can only eat your cake if you’re one of “them”: the hyper-successful, works all day and night, hustlers that refuse to work for “the man”. In contrast, it would seem more prudent to believe – and behave – in a way that allows for all manners of personal success and enjoyment regardless of a label to your work. There exists all manner of work: day jobs, volunteering, community involvement, mentoring, teaching, social organizations, memberships, and so on. No one says you have to be defined by just one of these things. Instead, make it a point both to pursue your passions and be able to fund them. There’s nothing wrong with having a day job that pays for your outside of work work. Inasmuch, there’s nothing wrong with focusing your attention to a passion area as your day job if that’s what you want and have the capability and capacity to perform as your main work. Try it all on for size, and keep working at it. Prune away the nonessential and take in all the things that matter to you as you are able. If society is wrong about anything in today’s world, it’s the idea that life can only be and should only be lived one way or another. This is the biggest fallacy of all. Rather, choose to live intently and do what’s right for you with passion, authenticity, and mindfulness. There are many paths and every person is responsible for his or her own destiny.
In Between Degrees 