I thought about it...

Earlier today I posted the quote, "life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself." I actually have no idea who said it originally but apparently it is the favorite quote of one of the models on Project Runway Canada. That lovely aside aside, I too think it is an amazing quote.

You see, I have always been one of those people who tries to plan out every aspect of their future. I am big on the whole אין סומכין על הנס thing. I like having backup plans on top of backup plans. This is why I am in such a panic over grad school. Three programs is nothing compared to the nine undergrad programs I applied to.

It kind of scares me when I look at some of my friends, and almost everyone else living in Israel. So many people have no clue what they want to do with their lives.

With many of my friends I think it has to do partially with their inability to fully integrate into Israeli society. They are too busy struggling culturally and socially to bother struggling academically or professionally. Obviously part of it is just that many people are unfocused but honestly, my friends in Toronto and NY all seem to have concrete goals.
I know I could never be like that. It just goes against something in my DNA. Yet when I see the complacency of many of my peers I am more sure of the decision I made to return to Toronto rather than to study archaeology and hope for the best.

With Israeli's it is different. I believe there is something built into the culture there that causes them to lose focus. The whole army and sherut leumi thing really throws people off. Do you really have to spend a year traveling and then another year studying psychometry after the army? Why not take the psychometry while in high school, spend the summer traveling and start university shortly after serving? I just don't understand why people push things off for song long. Then when they finally start school most of them just study random things with no career goal in mind.
One thing is certain- all my kids are taking the psychometry while still in high school.

Most of these people believe they will find themselves one day, and while I sincerely hope they do life is not about happenstance, it is about action. We control our destiny. Yes, God plays a part, but he helps those who help themselves. Maybe this quote speaks to the designer in me but I really do think we must create ourselves.