What Do You Want to Do with Your Life?

Posted by Michelle Chappel on September 5, 2013 in True Self | 30 comments

Welcome to my blog! It’s pretty awesome, I know. But enough chitchat. I’m on a mission! If you are experiencing a personal or professional crisis, deciding where to go next in life, feeling stuck, or simply want to be more creative, this blog is for you. Each of us has a unique purpose in life. Most of us don’t realize it, though, because we’ve been pushed to conform to someone else’s idea of who we should be. Step by step, this blog will take you through the different stages of the hero’s journey so that you may discover your true calling, build the courage to go after your dreams, persist through setbacks, and accomplish your aims.

Yeah, it’s a big promise, I know, but I think we can do it, don’t you?  I’ve got a good track record.

MY STORY  Years ago when I was a psychology professor, students lined up outside my office to ask me what they should major in or where they should go to graduate school. It turns out I was offering radically different advice from their parents and other professors. My colleague across the hall told one of our brightest seniors to go to the best graduate school she could, even though it meant moving to the east coast and leaving her fiancé behind. She came to my office in tears. A miserable electrical engineering major told me his father wouldn’t let him go into psychology because there was no money in it.

My advice was simple.  I always told my students to follow their hearts.

One afternoon as I watched yet another relieved face disappear out my office door, I realized I wasn’t following my own heart. I felt deeply empty, despite my success. What did I really want to do when I grew up?  I wanted to sing in a rock-n-roll band.

“Ridiculous,” a voice that sounded a lot like my mother’s screamed inside my head. For one, it would mean I had wasted four years at Princeton getting my PhD in psychology. For another, I was too old. How could I change now, wasn’t it too late?

I kept thinking about how happy my students were whenever I gave them permission to be their true selves. Within a year, I left my solid teaching position to follow my dream to be a rock-n-roll star! I’d only written a handful of songs at the time, but I knew if I didn’t do it then, I never would. My songs have been on the charts, and I’ve led creativity workshops for 17 years and helped thousands of participants to realize their dreams, too.

Now that’s my true calling. What’s yours? You don’t know, you say?  You’re not sure? That’s OK.

Pretend I’m someone who matters to you, and I give you permission to be your authentic self.  Sure, I’m your fairy godmother. Why not? Picture me waving a magic wand over you right now and telling you, “You can have anything you want.” You look down startled to discover you’ve instantly grown a pair. What would you do next with this new bravado?  What kind of life would fill you with joy? It doesn’t matter whether it seems attainable or even downright crazy. Giving yourself permission to daydream about a rich and fulfilling life is the first step towards getting it. Close your eyes and let a picture settle in.

Where does your mind take you when you set your soul free? Tell me. I’d really like to know!

B/W photos courtesy of City on a Hill Press, Santa Cruz, CA.