I need some life advice!

[username19853]

Luckily, I’m pretty simple!

- passion for yoga (teaching and practicing)

- passion for traditional martial arts (teaching and practicing)

- passion for fitness and nutrition.

- NEED to help people.

Unfortunately, I’d only like to help people with my passions as a hobby. I find it more stressful than enjoyable when I’m trying to teach/train others while keeping in mind that I have to take enough of their money so I can support myself. With that being said, I don’t have any desire to become a personal trainer, physical therapist, gym teacher or nutritionist.

So I want to help people! Those are my skills, along with my stubbornness and lack of knowing what to do. I’ve considered entering the mental health field as well as non profit organizations such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC), just to give you an idea of what I have in mind. However, I just feel too limited and need more options before I make any decisions.

Any recommendations, suggestions or even spit balled ideas would SO appreciated. Thank you for your time!

[username19853]

Oh and I just turned 23, not opposed to college if anyone wants to know!

[MatsuShinshii]

I can't think for you or make decisions for you and your life. However as a father I would tell you that if you do not want to utilize the skill sets you already have to make a living then you have to develop ones that you will use to make a living.

Yes college is a viable option but you will need to know what you want to do. No offense but it doesn't sound like you have that locked down. The other option and the best advice I can give is to get a job, any job. In working we find what we enjoy and what we disdain. This focuses the mind into what we don't want to do and opens a few doors into what we may want to do. It develops work ethic and a drive.

I started working when I was 10 years old cutting grass, raking leaves and shoveling snow, when I turned 14 I started working at a hardware store and restaurant, I switched to construction at the age of 17, joined the Marine Corps, got out and had the old cliche of "every job known to man" then got serious and went right back to what I knew (construction) and have been doing it ever since. I also teach.

If you enjoy helping others, that's probably the direction you should head. However I would take some time to find out about your options and work in those fields as a coop or intern prior to committing. The key is to learn what you like and what you don't. There are many that hate what they do and have to drag themselves out of bed every morning to go to work.

The point is very few know what they want to do until the get some experience under their belts. Go get some.

[OneKickWonder]

There's a million ways to earn a living helping people. You just need to understand that there's a million ways to help.

In my professional life, I was a software developer for over 20 years before transitioning to business analyst. Geeky yes? How is this helping people? Well, people spend nearly 33% of their hours at work. They spend roughly half of their waking hours there. They do the same thing, I'm the same place, among the same people all the time. They might kind of enjoy their work, but really they're there because they need to earn a living. Really they are slaves to the system. I can't release them from that. But I can make their life a bit easier if I put the right tools in place. If I can stop someone getting frustrated by a tedious task that they do once a month, then they will go home to their families less tired and in a better mood one more time per month. If I can reduce the mental burden of one task that someone does for one hour per day, then they can focus more on their colleagues that they've become friends with and less on their screens for one hour per day.

This is just one example of a million.

If I earned my living as a cleaner, I'd be helping people by making their environment more pleasant. If I sat at a checkout at the supermarket, I could help people just by smiling and engaging in polite chit chat as I serve them. Sounds silly, but for some people, especially the old folk, that's their social interaction for a week.

I guess my point is, if you want to help people, you will help people, no matter what you choose to do.

True story. About 5 years ago, my wife and I went to a new fast food place that had just opened. It had a good reputation. We ordered, we received our food, I paid up. I then immediately managed to drop my meal upside down onto the floor as I left. I didn't have enough cash to replace it. I was ready to put it down to bad luck. But the lady that ran the shop saw what happened. She replaced my lost meal for free. This was years ago, and it's still fresh in my mind. It contributed and continues to contribute to my attitude that doing a simple good thing for a complete stranger every now and then makes the world a better place.

Do whatever you feel compelled to do. But do it with the attitude you will help people and if you do that, I guarantee, you will fulfil your wish of helping people.

[LLLEARNER]

Luckily, I’m pretty simple!

- passion for yoga (teaching and practicing)

- passion for traditional martial arts (teaching and practicing)

- passion for fitness and nutrition.

- NEED to help people.

Unfortunately, I’d only like to help people with my passions as a hobby. I find it more stressful than enjoyable when I’m trying to teach/train others while keeping in mind that I have to take enough of their money so I can support myself. With that being said, I don’t have any desire to become a personal trainer, physical therapist, gym teacher or nutritionist.

So I want to help people! Those are my skills, along with my stubbornness and lack of knowing what to do. I’ve considered entering the mental health field as well as non profit organizations such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC), just to give you an idea of what I have in mind. However, I just feel too limited and need more options before I make any decisions.

Any recommendations, suggestions or even spit balled ideas would SO appreciated. Thank you for your time!

There are a million and one ways you can go. Law Enforcement is an option. With your passion for physical fitness through martial arts and nutrition, you sound like you could physically do the job. It is a tough rewarding job with lots of opportunity to help people.

Other options...

Nursing,

EMS,

Mechanic,

anything in the trades,

farmer,

run a coffee shop,

etc.

The point is that you are not limited. I listen to a podcast called Hands and Daylight. Pete Roberts, the host, occasionally discusses the decades to leave a legacy. He dropped out of college with like a semester left to start a business. It succeeded, until it didn't. He has since started another business. He literally built his first factory in the woods of Maine with trees he cut down. His business is now growing and employing people in a large town in Maine. He helps people by starting a business and keeping it going. People use his products to improve their life, maybe even some people on this board. That money helps his employees feed their families and make mortgage payments.

Helping people can be defined a couple ways.

Direct- caring for peoples physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs as some type of caregiver. Examples-Doctors, Nurses, therapists, etc.

Indirect-Being a contributing member of society-working, playing and acting in a manner that benefits yourself through legal and ethical means. By contributing to society through your own daily engagements in a free, open, capitalistic society, you benefits others. Examples-Garbage man, lawyer, sandwich artist, financial advisor, etc.

A good place to jumpstart your thinking could be through volunteering. Volunteer at a homeless shelter, through your church (if you attend one) or civic organization, animal shelter. Work a couple of different jobs to learn where your natural skills and inclinations lead you. Take some adult ed classes in your area. They are cheap. Take a personality test to get some ideas for consideration. Substitute teach. Try being a CNA. They pay for your training in most cases. Substitute teaching and a CNA have no or virtually no monetary commitment to take on as debt.

You have 4-5 decades to figure out what you want to do when you grow up. That is time to have 3 careers. Right now you don't need options to make a decision. You need to try what is out there, preferably without incurring debt.

I hope I was not too pushy. I just wish I knew years ago what I know now.

[singularity6]

You only really need to like your job. Frequently, people who turn hobbies into careers end up not feeling the same way about them. Local gyms and YMCAs might hire yoga instructors and pay them very little (and frequently wave/reduce membership fees.) Most people who run these classes simply enjoy doing so, and appreciate getting the workout without paying the gym fees. Most people that I know who teach martial arts don't own their own school... but they don't pay to be at the school (some even make a little side money.)

Going to school to become an athletic trainer seems fairly popular these days. You'll learn the science about how the body moves and works. Nutrition will be an important part of the curriculum, too. You might be able to fuel your career with your passions, as well as teach the things you like on the side (the credential and experience will help you land these side jobs, as well.)

[username19853]

This is why I LOVE this website! Always get the best, REAL advice from you guys, martial arts related or not. I appreciate everyone giving time to contribute 🙏

[LLLEARNER]

If you do pursue personal training, just keep in mind it is getting to be a crowded industry. Have a differentiator. For instance if there are 12 other morning boot camps in the park, you might want to focus on a different area, or to a different crowd that is not being served.

[RW]

There's a million ways to earn a living helping people. You just need to understand that there's a million ways to help.

In my professional life, I was a software developer for over 20 years before transitioning to business analyst. Geeky yes? How is this helping people? Well, people spend nearly 33% of their hours at work. They spend roughly half of their waking hours there. They do the same thing, I'm the same place, among the same people all the time. They might kind of enjoy their work, but really they're there because they need to earn a living. Really they are slaves to the system. I can't release them from that. But I can make their life a bit easier if I put the right tools in place. If I can stop someone getting frustrated by a tedious task that they do once a month, then they will go home to their families less tired and in a better mood one more time per month. If I can reduce the mental burden of one task that someone does for one hour per day, then they can focus more on their colleagues that they've become friends with and less on their screens for one hour per day.

This is just one example of a million.

If I earned my living as a cleaner, I'd be helping people by making their environment more pleasant. If I sat at a checkout at the supermarket, I could help people just by smiling and engaging in polite chit chat as I serve them. Sounds silly, but for some people, especially the old folk, that's their social interaction for a week.

I guess my point is, if you want to help people, you will help people, no matter what you choose to do.

True story. About 5 years ago, my wife and I went to a new fast food place that had just opened. It had a good reputation. We ordered, we received our food, I paid up. I then immediately managed to drop my meal upside down onto the floor as I left. I didn't have enough cash to replace it. I was ready to put it down to bad luck. But the lady that ran the shop saw what happened. She replaced my lost meal for free. This was years ago, and it's still fresh in my mind. It contributed and continues to contribute to my attitude that doing a simple good thing for a complete stranger every now and then makes the world a better place.

Do whatever you feel compelled to do. But do it with the attitude you will help people and if you do that, I guarantee, you will fulfil your wish of helping people.

PM sent

[JazzKicker]

If you get an education you will have much more to offer in helping people, however you end up doing it. Part of the college experience is broadening, being exposed to new ideas, subjects, and meeting new people. Even a couple of years at a community college will help a lot.

I'm an engineer, but about 15 years ago I felt my career had plateaued in terms of boredom and opportunities. Having been a part-time unpaid karate instructor, I studied to be a personal trainer with a specialist in martial arts conditioning cert. I didn't succeed in changing my career, but I learned a lot. Besides learning about the body, modern training methods, I learned that I didn't like the gym environment that much, that I wasn't good at getting clients (not really a people person), and competing against a perky exercise science major for a $15/hr part time job wasn't for me.