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Exhausted In My Twenties

Dear Harlan: I need to be inspired or reassured. I’m in my late 20s, and I’m in a career that I hate. I look forward to Fridays and dread Mondays. I feel uninspired and empty. I get paid extremely well, but the toll it’s taking on me is giving me second thoughts about what’s important in life. I spend most of the month traveling and living in hotels. I want to quit, but I have no other job prospects. I have to pay rent and student loans. I’ve wanted to teach, but I have too much in student loans to take the pay cut. Is this the way it’s supposed to be? Should I stop wanting more, and accept this is it?

— Wanting More

Dear Wanting More:  There’s more – so much more. Until now, life has been less about what you want and more about being wanted. It’s how it works for most people. The main goal of high school is to be wanted by a college so an employer will want to give you a job and a great life. What you’ve wanted has always been less important than being wanted. As a result, millions of people feel uninspired and lost. Before running to a new job, find the answer to these questions: What kind of teaching really excites you? Who would you like to teach? Who are some teachers you can talk to? Who do you want to teach you how to go after what you want? Surround yourself with people who reflect what you want. Volunteer, teach and find people who inspire you. Use your nights, weekends and time at work to experiment with what you want. Once you have a vision of what you want and align yourself with people who are doing what you want, good things will happen.

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