Who Are You Meant To Be?
Who am I meant to be? That is a rather "loaded" question, I think. "Who am I?" is more frequently 
asked in our culture. The generations born since the end of WW2 have been confronting that question with greater urgency than previous generations. In periods of rigid social order, the individual has generally had very little choice in areas of life that we consider to be essential such as the choice of a profession or trade. It was assumed that at least the eldest boy would follow his father's trade; girls were groomed to be wives and mothers. Even for those at the top of the social heap - landowners, nobles, royalty - there were rigid expectations and demands that left little room for improvisation or experimentation. After the revolutions in America and France in the late 18th century however , people began to question their inherited social and economic structures and greater emphasis began to be placed on the individual as the unit of society rather than class or family. More than any single other factor the growth of the "middle classes" made choice possible, at least in theory. Yet, we have no idea how many great artists, composers, writers, and even scientists, were steered away from using their natural gifts in order to fulfill their parents ideas of a "safe", "reliable" or "traditional" profession or trade. Would-be theoretical mathematicians were steered
instead into teaching or accountancy; girls who dreamed by being doctors were persuaded to become nurses; potentially serious playwrights, poets, and literary novelists were sent off to learn journalism, public relations, or advertising even during times of prosperity when choice should have been the norm. Why? Because of the fear of what might happen in years to come. How could one earn a living as a painter in a period of recession or depression? Who would marry girls who had medical or law degrees? Nowadays, we might laugh at such a question but social advances have a way of being reversed during periods of economic stress and political regression such as we are in right now. But despite the outward circumstances, humans must engage in a process of self-discovery in order to claim the self-knowledge that leads to happiness in life. Skipping that process is what gives us generations of unwed mothers with children they can't support, "deadbeat Dads", abusive husbands and fathers who use their physical strength to prevent women and children from exercising their rights to be free to act on their own consciences and knowledge; bosses who are in the wrong jobs and abuse their power to prevent others from becoming the best they can be; and today a ubiquitous "security industry" that is laying the groundwork for the subversion of democratic institutions that had been designed to protect the rights of the individual. More than at any time in the past, we need to ask "Who am I?" and "Who am I meant to be (by virtue of my inborn abilities, talents and interests)?" One of the aspects of my practice as a professional psychic that I most enjoy is working with clients on the twin issues of who they are and what work would give them the greatest satisfaction in life. I have worked with many "misplaced" professionals who were actually "meant to be" lawyers, judges, researchers, writers, dancers, business owners, restaurateurs, architects, even astrologers and one or two who were "closet psychics". I was one of those myself for nearly twenty years in a "left brain profession" which I believe helps me to recognize others in a similar situation.
asked in our culture. The generations born since the end of WW2 have been confronting that question with greater urgency than previous generations. In periods of rigid social order, the individual has generally had very little choice in areas of life that we consider to be essential such as the choice of a profession or trade. It was assumed that at least the eldest boy would follow his father's trade; girls were groomed to be wives and mothers. Even for those at the top of the social heap - landowners, nobles, royalty - there were rigid expectations and demands that left little room for improvisation or experimentation. After the revolutions in America and France in the late 18th century however , people began to question their inherited social and economic structures and greater emphasis began to be placed on the individual as the unit of society rather than class or family. More than any single other factor the growth of the "middle classes" made choice possible, at least in theory. Yet, we have no idea how many great artists, composers, writers, and even scientists, were steered away from using their natural gifts in order to fulfill their parents ideas of a "safe", "reliable" or "traditional" profession or trade. Would-be theoretical mathematicians were steered instead into teaching or accountancy; girls who dreamed by being doctors were persuaded to become nurses; potentially serious playwrights, poets, and literary novelists were sent off to learn journalism, public relations, or advertising even during times of prosperity when choice should have been the norm. Why? Because of the fear of what might happen in years to come. How could one earn a living as a painter in a period of recession or depression? Who would marry girls who had medical or law degrees? Nowadays, we might laugh at such a question but social advances have a way of being reversed during periods of economic stress and political regression such as we are in right now. But despite the outward circumstances, humans must engage in a process of self-discovery in order to claim the self-knowledge that leads to happiness in life. Skipping that process is what gives us generations of unwed mothers with children they can't support, "deadbeat Dads", abusive husbands and fathers who use their physical strength to prevent women and children from exercising their rights to be free to act on their own consciences and knowledge; bosses who are in the wrong jobs and abuse their power to prevent others from becoming the best they can be; and today a ubiquitous "security industry" that is laying the groundwork for the subversion of democratic institutions that had been designed to protect the rights of the individual. More than at any time in the past, we need to ask "Who am I?" and "Who am I meant to be (by virtue of my inborn abilities, talents and interests)?" One of the aspects of my practice as a professional psychic that I most enjoy is working with clients on the twin issues of who they are and what work would give them the greatest satisfaction in life. I have worked with many "misplaced" professionals who were actually "meant to be" lawyers, judges, researchers, writers, dancers, business owners, restaurateurs, architects, even astrologers and one or two who were "closet psychics". I was one of those myself for nearly twenty years in a "left brain profession" which I believe helps me to recognize others in a similar situation.Who Are You Meant To Be?
As members of the world community, humans the world over need to claim their freedom to choose 
how they will live their lives, including how they will "make a living". We are at a critical juncture in human history; 99% of the population of the planet is in thrall to the 1% of economic plutocrats, a situation that grows more dangerous by the day as one form of employment after another is declared redundant or economically not viable. Rarely is that true. Most of the "wealth bubble" is made up of air - speculation, "hedge funds", hostile take-overs, etc. without regard to the overall social as well as economic impact that will ensue when the current "bubble" implodes as it did in 2008-2010. If the majority population of the planet is not to be enslaved or eradicated by natural or engineered disaster, we have to discover how to live in accordance with who we are and what we were meant to do to support life on this planet. In the search for answers to these questions, I am in favour of any instrument that furthers human freedom from economic, political, or intellectual tyranny. Self-discovery is the deepest root of freedom in all areas. There are many tools to increase self-awareness including books and courses on identifying your "strengths and weaknesses" in terms of employment. One of the most recent such books is Search Inside Yourself, a creative and sometimes hilarious tool for finding out what would make you much happier at work and in your life. I recommend this one highly.
how they will live their lives, including how they will "make a living". We are at a critical juncture in human history; 99% of the population of the planet is in thrall to the 1% of economic plutocrats, a situation that grows more dangerous by the day as one form of employment after another is declared redundant or economically not viable. Rarely is that true. Most of the "wealth bubble" is made up of air - speculation, "hedge funds", hostile take-overs, etc. without regard to the overall social as well as economic impact that will ensue when the current "bubble" implodes as it did in 2008-2010. If the majority population of the planet is not to be enslaved or eradicated by natural or engineered disaster, we have to discover how to live in accordance with who we are and what we were meant to do to support life on this planet. In the search for answers to these questions, I am in favour of any instrument that furthers human freedom from economic, political, or intellectual tyranny. Self-discovery is the deepest root of freedom in all areas. There are many tools to increase self-awareness including books and courses on identifying your "strengths and weaknesses" in terms of employment. One of the most recent such books is Search Inside Yourself, a creative and sometimes hilarious tool for finding out what would make you much happier at work and in your life. I recommend this one highly.
Online Survey on Who You Are Meant To Be
Additionally, sometimes the first step in self-discovery can even be as accessible as a magazine survey. Decades of teaching taught me to start where the student IS, with what is accessible. Consequently, I am recommending a little survey that can be found today at http://www.oprah.com/packages/find-your-passion.html No groaning, please. I'm not an Oprah "groupie" but I do have a great deal of 
respect for her willingness to learn - in public - including learning from her mistakes. I also respect the fact that she seeks out professionals to work with and has created what I think of as her own "human resource network". I detested the hype that crept into the staging of her daily TV shows; it was so obviously producer-driven. However, when I listen to what she actually says I am struck by her humility in seeking answers to the important questions facing the planetary culture of which we are all a part. So, I recommend that readers of this post who harbour doubts about their careers or wonder if there might be a better alternative out there, begin with tools they can gain access to in their environment. My only caution would be to be sceptical of any book or "authority" who claims to have "all the answers". Above all, remember that nothing in nature grows in absolutely straight lines. Nature meanders, spirals, circles back from time to time and constantly changes. That is our reality. Circumstances change and we can't protect ourselves against all of them. However, the best thing we can do for ourselves and those we care about is to make an honest effort to find out who we really are (emotionally, intellectually, psychologically, and physically) and live in harmony with that identity including how we support ourselves and our loved ones. There are no general answers, only individual ones so we cannot compare what is best for us with what is best for others. What would make us happiest might be radically different from the current "norms" but remember we do not know what is "normal" for human beings - we only know what is common. And the common choices might not be right for us.
respect for her willingness to learn - in public - including learning from her mistakes. I also respect the fact that she seeks out professionals to work with and has created what I think of as her own "human resource network". I detested the hype that crept into the staging of her daily TV shows; it was so obviously producer-driven. However, when I listen to what she actually says I am struck by her humility in seeking answers to the important questions facing the planetary culture of which we are all a part. So, I recommend that readers of this post who harbour doubts about their careers or wonder if there might be a better alternative out there, begin with tools they can gain access to in their environment. My only caution would be to be sceptical of any book or "authority" who claims to have "all the answers". Above all, remember that nothing in nature grows in absolutely straight lines. Nature meanders, spirals, circles back from time to time and constantly changes. That is our reality. Circumstances change and we can't protect ourselves against all of them. However, the best thing we can do for ourselves and those we care about is to make an honest effort to find out who we really are (emotionally, intellectually, psychologically, and physically) and live in harmony with that identity including how we support ourselves and our loved ones. There are no general answers, only individual ones so we cannot compare what is best for us with what is best for others. What would make us happiest might be radically different from the current "norms" but remember we do not know what is "normal" for human beings - we only know what is common. And the common choices might not be right for us.
© Delia O'Riordan 2012
Books cited in this post are available HERE. in the Career, Work and Change section.
Photo credit: Oprah courtesy of Oprah and Wikipedia Creative Commons, photographer Alan Light.
