The Hero’s Journey is rarely a neat, straight path. Usually, it is a winding road filled with ups and downs, twists and turns. This is precisely what makes it interesting and exciting. Straight lines are boring.
The Call to Adventure often shows up in our vocation. In an ideal world, everyone would feel their heart pulling them towards a career perfectly aligned with their unique talents and abilities, and their goals and dreams. You know, the old adage that says, “find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” I wish this were always the case. But sadly, this is not typical for most folks—especially when you consider employment statistics citing as much as 85% of people disliking their jobs.
Meaningful, fulfilling, well-paying work is the Holy Grail for many of us. Add in opportunities for growth, autonomy, unlimited PTO, and a 3x matching 401k, and you’ve got a quest worthy of Odysseus.
Sometimes the Call and the job line up. Sometimes they don’t. And that’s okay. Not turning your passion into a viable source of income does not constitute failure, nor is it an indication of a lack of commitment or dedication.
Sometimes, a passion is just a passion, and a job is just a job. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use your career in service of your Call to Adventure. In fact, I know someone who did just that. Meet Tim, a commercial diver and underwater welder.
Tim the Underwater Welder
Tim is the fictitious name of a guy I knew in high school in the Bay Area. He had one true passion in life. Surfing. To say Tim loved to surf is an understatement. It went beyond mere passion, bordering on obsession. He was also a certified scuba diver. Much of his world at the time evolved around maximizing his time in the ocean.
After high school, Tim planned to bypass college, move to San Francisco, CA, get a job, and ride the waves at Ocean Beach and Fort Point as much as humanly possible. But with one caveat: San Francisco is an expensive city to live in.
After exploring several options, Tim enrolled in a local maritime academy to embark on the lucrative (relative to a minimum wage high schooler), but obscenely dangerous, career as an underwater welder. Yes, welding underwater is a real thing done by some really brave people. The work consists of maintaining, repairing, and constructing ships, dams, bridges, support structures, oil rigs, pipelines, etc.
Some of the dangers include, electric shock, drowning, decompression sickness, explosions, and unpredictable environmental hazards. High risk, high reward. By Tim’s estimation, he could effectively earn full-time wages working part-time hours, thus freeing up his time to surf, surf, and surf some more.
I should note, of course, that Tim was also the kind of dude who was completely content to sleep on the floor of a friend’s apartment while eating Top Ramen noodles and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches three times per day. Being able to stretch a dollar is a useful skill, especially when you’re young and living in a big city.
It’s been 30+ years since I last heard from Tim. I have no idea if he’s still welding or diving, but I have zero doubt he still finds a way to surf as often as he is able. The important takeaway is Tim intentionally used his job to support his one true passion.
The waves called to him. Surfing formed the backbone of his Hero’s Journey and his life. He heard the Call, and he answered it. He crossed the threshold and stepped forward onto his path to adventure.
And, he did it in a way that worked for him.
Tim’s career and calling did not overlap. One acted in service to the other. And at the time, he seemed perfectly okay with it.
Not all passions can be monetized, nor should they. Not all jobs can be our passion, and that’s fine too. What matters more is the energy and aliveness we feel on a daily basis.
Tim’s way might not work for you. It wouldn’t work for me either. But say what you will, Tim was alive in every sense of the word.
If you could use some help navigating your next Hero’s Journey, visit my About page to learn how to work with me 1:1 as your guide and life coach.
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