Imagine the following Twilight Zone episode: a noisy rush hour, traffic at a stand still, millions of people wearing a blank expression on their faces. They look worn out, yet eager to get somewhere. Their day was spent going through the motions, passing time. Work is not the center of their life, they live for the weekend. You can hear them thinking-- it's written all over their faces--"gotta do whatcha gotta do." They don't question the absurdity of spending the bulk of their life working at a job they don't enjoy. The possibility of ever doing what they love has been written off as a pipe dream. Others live in waiting, hoping the answers will come someday. They commiserate with each other to reinforce their resignation. Misery seeks company. Grumpily, they play this game of life extremely well. Their goal . . . to raise kids to do the same thing, but with an Ivy league education to ensure comfort and security. Suddenly, the director yells, "Cut!" All the actors burst into laughter as they walk off the set. It's the year 2050, and the movie is a depiction of American life at the turn of the 21st Century. It becomes a landmark film, and its audiences gasp with relief that that way of life is long gone.

Is the world is moving away from this horror story? Only if we say so. The good news is that there are a small percentage of people who are defying the norm. What's their secret? How did they get out of the Twilight Zone nightmare?

The most common reason I've seen as to why people are living in that Twilight Zone episode is directly related to the kind of tomatoes they eat. Let's face it, opting for the store-bought, dull, pale-reddish hard tomatoes is just easier. It takes too long to grow your own, and there are no guarantees. An "off-the-shelf" tomato is an analogy for one way to live your life. For many people a college degree becomes merely a credential for an "off-the-shelf" career. Rather than grow a career, they settle for an off-the-shelf shortcut. Those few people who do have a fabulous life and career are true gardeners. They set out on a journey to create something unique, something that says, "THIS IS ME" all over it. With this metaphor, it's easy to see why so few people ever "find" that perfect career. Could there be anything "out there" (ready-made) that will ever be perfect enough for you? Sure, there are lots of jobs you can get off the shelf. And if you're lucky, one of them may be just right for you. Maybe you're someone who isn't that lucky. I think gardeners know the secret to a really tasty career. An extraordinary career is not something you'll find . . . it's something you grow. Growing into a ripened fruit, or should I say, having an extraordinary career, is a lot harder. In today's world it is more possible than ever, but still pretty rare. It takes a willingness to stretch further, and most people aren't up for this kind of discomfort . . . yet.

Our educational system is also not yet designed to accommodate for the differences in human talents. You have to do this yourself. Sure, you could have asked yourself better questions upon graduating high school, but likely you didn't. If you fell into a career, it's not your fault. There probably wasn't anyone there helping you figure this out. Guiding our teens in making effective career choices does not exist. Yes, we're asking 17 year-olds, raging hormones and all, to steer their life course with little to no tools, mentoring, or perspective on how the world works. Hopefully this will change soon. Just imagine it, before anyone decides on a college major they would have the opportunity to choose between "designing" their future, or opting to let fate steer their lives. Making this choice consciously might encourage young people to be more intentional about their life course.

The kind of questions we ask ourselves are at the heart of making better choices. Rather than only ask, "What college will give me an advantage to get the best job," we could also be asking, "Should I create something that expresses my uniqueness, or follow a path with more certainty? Am I willing to make the stretch for something that engages all my natural talents?" Most people don't get around to asking these questions until they have a masters degree in the wrong field, twice. For many mid-career changers this is painful, and refreshing to admit. Getting up to go to the job from hell is often worse than admitting (to yourself) that it's time for a change. The world has changed, people are bailing out and reinventing themselves from scratch, despite their fears. If you're considering a new direction, may your journey be one of a kind, yet guided by the experiences of others gone before you.