Written by Diane Dutchin
My journey took me to many countries whereby stops were made to large cities that were lavishing in wealth, and smaller cities with the look and smell of poverty. I made my way through villages of those countries and regardless of the wealth or lack thereof within those cites I visited; the impression was one of simplicity, and peaceful tranquility.
With every stop and the intermingling with people of various races, skin color, male, female, young and old, sexual preferences, and religious beliefs were shared. I found myself being drawn into not who they were at face value, but what their profession or passion was, and why they’re doing what they’re doing.
I made it my deliberate focus to zero in only on this aspect of their lives, I suddenly realized that what a man or woman did, was in some way connect to who they are, and gave an intimate expression into their hearts. This discovery fascinated me, and for the rest of my journey this was my clear undefined mission; I was curious to dig deeper, to unpeel the layers to confirm if what I’d suddenly become aware of was not just an idea within my head, but a living truth as well.
I therefore decided to set out to unearth and bring to light my convictions – I’d meet with men and women who held high to low positions as viewed by man; from professionals in their high office with a six figure income, to the farm hand with wages in the form of a roof over his head and bread to fill his stomach. I set out to deliberately meet with the regular Joe and the not so regular Joes of society. I knew that seeking to find out why they’re doing what they’re doing, or passionate about would eventually lead to the exposure of their personal lives. I was convinced that these two would somehow connect.
Passions and professions we hold aren’t being done just for a paycheck – maybe it was the initial purpose, but later it took on a whole new purpose. What I discovered not only added to my conviction, but I was along the way surprised in both pleasant and unpleasant ways by what was revealed; both to me and those who were sharing.
So, let’s get started – breaking this down into two sections to remove any confusion and add clarifications.
I’ll share separately on what was discovered with those who did what they did by passion.
Then I’ll share what they did by profession.
Profession
The Lawyer: Suzette
I happened to meet Suzette by chance in the lobby of the building I work in; just by the way she was dressed I could quickly tell that she had a “high end job”- professionally dressed in a sheik two piece outfit. I commented on her outfit to break the ice and I asked her what her profession was and she filled me in. She gave me her business card and with a smile and said “in case you’re ever in need of a good lawyer”. I thanked her and as I walked towards the elevator I knew that I’d be seeing her again.
One week later I called Suzette, told her about my project, and asked if I could conduct a casual interview with her on how she ended up working in this profession; she agreed.
The Suzette I saw walking towards me as I sat in Kahawa Cafe was totally different from the Lawyer Suzette I saw a week ago. She was still striking but appeared more relaxed; it must have been the casual wear she was in. After grabbing coffee and a polite decline to anything else we got started.
This is her story – I’m in a love hate relationship with my current choice of profession. (Only one question was needed to open her up; why?)
I got into this profession because I feel like I had something to prove to my siblings and parents. My dad was of the upper working class, and my mom was “the stay at home mom”. I hated the way my dad lord it over my mom, simply because “he bought home the bacon”. I hated the restriction that was placed on my mom; my siblings are eight to ten years my senior and their lives were moving in directions without purpose. They just wanted to have money; guess that stemmed from how we were raised, so a quick buck was good enough for them; it was always about money.
I made an internal decision that I’ll never fit into the category of a “stays at home mom” and be dependent on any man’s money. I’ll also make sure that what I did as a profession would be a high paying job.
I liked to argue (being the youngest of three:-) I mastered the art quite well and loved to walk away grinning gleefully over winning any argument or at the least proving my point! So there it was, pursue a law career, and make money doing it, while proving that it was not just doable, but that I did it!
So, why the love hate relationship?
Well, I love helping people in my profession, but hate the fact that it connects me to memories of my past that weren’t the greatest, and sometimes I still feel a tad bitter towards both my parents. My mom for being too weak or lazy to change her circumstances, and allows my dad to treat her terribly. My dad, because he bullied my mom because of his position…it’s messed up, and I somehow still feel tied to that, weird huh?
It wasn’t a coaching session so I had to be careful not to get into that realm, but Suzette confirmed to me that beyond a doubt there is a connection to who we are and what we do for a living or passionate about.
