I know that I spend a lot of time here, postulating wildly unsupported speculations and theories. It’s fun and I will keep doing it. But, I have a piece of genuine, 100% certain to be correct, advice:
Do different things.
Yes, it’s underwhelming at first, but give me a moment to explain. Our strongest evolutionary ability, our trump card in the face of adversity, is our ability to adapt. The variety of situations and challenges that we can suddenly rise to overcome is astounding: we went to space, for example.
And that adaptability is issued to each and every person at birth. The trick is, you won’t have any idea on what you can accomplish, or what you’re gifted at doing, until you get into the mix and experiment.
Over the last 30+ years, the popular culture ideal of life has been one of routine and predictability: decades spent in the job you were trained to do, with no alarming changes of course. And for many people, they will end up in that position. Fine, if that’s what you’re good at. But don’t settle into that rut without a doing a little personal exploration first. The thing you’re great at may not be anything that you have studied or practiced or planned to do at all.
I could give you a long list of examples , people who have followed their curiosity and ended up in a much different place than they expected, but I will focus on one remarkable fellow: Dr. Adrian Owen. Dr. Owen started his academic career in psychology. Psychology led to psychiatry, which led to neuroscience, which led to a meeting with a woman named Kate. (Kate’s story). Because Adrian followed his curiosity, he found this woman. He connected to her, and he saved her from unending silence. Now, Dr. Owen is the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging at UWO, working with his team to expand our understanding of human brain function and awareness.
Chris Loblaw, Author 