Life is a Lexus; My Quarter-Life Crisis

My Quarter-Life (I keep typing mid… not there yet, I hope) Crisis isn’t fueled by uncertainty of my passion, which is the case for many. I am serving my purpose right now as I craft this page. I know exactly where I’m supposed to go in life, but getting going is the hard part. It’s like having a car before you really know how to drive. Your parents buy you a shiny red Lexus, for whatever reason, and you imagine blasting 120mph through the Arizona desert, but when it comes time to take the wheel your knuckles are white with fear. Every James Dean has to start somewhere.

I’ve worked in the food and beverage industry for the past eight years. Anyone can get a restaurant job. It becomes addicting: quick cash and learning about food and libations, life’s greatest pleasures. But my real purpose is to help people through writing. I also feel the need to start a business. Taking the wheel and starting my true career is the hard part because I’ve gotten comfortable in an industry that I don’t want to dedicate my life to. I feel like I’ve wasted a decade, but at the same time it comforts me that I can apply the skills and knowledge I’ve acquired to both work and leisure for the rest of my life.

I’m 27 with a bachelor’s degree and basically no experience in my field, but because I’m typing this, I can loosen my hands around the wheel and breathe through the first few miles. I have to hit the gas before I get to floor it.

If you haven’t experienced a crisis yet, it’s likely on the way in some form or another. Having a “crisis” means something bigger is on the way. You feel pushed to do something bigger. Don’t be scared. Take it one day at a time, even if it’s simply reading about your niche, or books on how to be successful.

If you are experiencing a crisis, take two steps: One large step back to understand your purpose, and a step in, where you begin the process of getting there (usually called Step 1) without becoming overwhelmed by the possibility of failure of the grandeur picture. Everyone fails before they succeed. Stephen King posted all of his rejections in his bathroom as inspiration to persevere. It’s why beginners luck is called beginner’s luck.