There’s no mistake about it, keeping up a traditional career in the military is hard, and maybe even impossible.
But what if you didn’t have a career? What if you had a profession fueled by what you love?
When I chatted with Maria McConville, wife of the commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division, she challenged the way I think about what I do – and suggested we not think of our work as a career but rather as a profession.
But then she took it a step further and said this:
“I think more so than having a successful career, I have an interest and a passion. And so in a way I’ve always wanted to learn more about nutrition, I’ve always wanted to learn more about fitness, I’ve always wanted to learn more about the mind body connection. So in my quest for learning all of that I’ve been able to turn it into something I can also get paid to do.”
What a fantastic way to think about career and work. If what you did wasn’t just a job, if it was an “interest and a passion,” wouldn’t it be easier (or at least FEEL easier) to find a way to do it no matter what the military tossed at you?
