“You are not going to starve or become homeless.” That’s one of the lines I repeat to my career counseling clients. I then walk them through the happy reality of living in an affluent state like Connecticut. In my career counseling experience, I am certain that most people are not too reckless but rather too safe in their careers. Most settle into careers of “quiet desperation” (Thoreau)
Covid has made me update this advice as food scarcity and economic hardship make me less cavalier in suggesting that our good fortune of living in Connecticut will magically prevent catastrophe. Nonetheless, I am still confident that most people should take greater career risk to ensure happiness. The alternative is a long life of career unhappiness.
Covid will go. Your career will stay.