I’m inspired by a conversation I had with my father and my grandmother. We were talking about family life and how it was back then. My grandmother remembered how difficult life was but also how simple it was just appreciating what was given or received. She had take care of the family, raising three boys, while running the house, making the food and working 5 days a week to earn money. My grandfather worked as well

Back then it was common for families to have a notebook in the local grocery. That meant they could buy anything during the month and pay at the end of the month when families received their wage. Sometimes they couldn’t pay the whole amount and kept the debt for the next month. It was a simple life but a happy one. Children didn’t go hungry. There wasn’t meat every day at the table but Sunday was the blessed one with meat. Usually my grandfather cooked on those days. Children grew up knowing the value of things, with a simple goal to get a good job as an adult.

Then my father told me his story. I do not remember having heard it before or maybe I wasn’t aware enough…

In the last year of mandatory school students could visit different kind of companies in order to get an idea of possible job opportunities. As the other kids did, my father went for a visit to a company. At the end of the presentation, the person in charge asked the kids who were present if any of them would be interested in doing an apprenticeship as a draftsman… At that very moment my father put up his hand and his professional path was set. Until today he does not know why he held his hand up! His childhood dream was to become a teacher or a social worker… He never came back to that dream and followed this spontaneously chosen path with success. Neither did he regret it. But it’s still surprising how life can take one path or another in a minute…

Right now I find myself in a position of deciding about my next professional step. The story of my father inspires me, because he just accepted what life offered him at that moment and enjoyed his professional career even if it was not what he dreamt about. He found pleasure and achievement where he ended up.

As humans we always want more, we have too many choices and are not able to make any sometimes. We often have the feeling that we are making wrong ones. In fact, there are no wrong choices. Every decision just leads us to a certain path.

Happiness is not about what you are doing but in your being! That’s what my yoga teacher once told me when I was asking her about my personal situation as I didn’t know what I wanted to do regarding my professional path…

I think, I get the picture now.