View from my deck. Different color expressions of nature.

There’s Room in the Big Tent for All Perspectives

Permission granted for educational use.

I have always viewed my life as my career, so I wasn’t bothered with choosing one. I intuitively knew that if I cooperated with the approaching forces, while assessing my current situation, I would find my right niche, at least for the moment. That has remained true.

                As I worked professionally in the career development field, I found myself increasingly dissatisfied with focusing young people, in both middle and high school, on a future occupation. This seemed particularly odd to me, as students will have many experiences and exposures to various occupations during their public education years. Further, I don’t know too many adults who know what they will be doing too far in advance.

                In short, the field of career development, as it is currently structured, is not user friendly to life, as it is doesn’t tend to take a cooperative stance with life; it forces choice too early in life. Exploration is great, but not early forced decisions. Further, career development, like psychology, appears more interested in conforming individuals to what is, rather than encouraging them to follow their inner wisdom. It’s the old notion that adults know best. Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t believe that anyone, adult or otherwise, knows best for my life, particularly if they’re trying to conform me to the status quo, or what already exists.

                This reminds me of a Hollywood producer, who spoke to a graduating class in cinema, at the University of Southern California (USC), in Los Angeles, in the 1980s. She said “you will never make a classic if you do it like it has always been done.” She went on to say that up until Fred Astaire, the movie star dancer, dance had only been filmed showing a waist-up view. Astaire refused to do it that way, and that step away from conformity started the filming of full-body dance scenes.

                The same is true for your life. If you do it the way it has always been done, you could find yourself down a dead rabbit trail, because you followed the group. You could also find yourself obese, sick, and on medication. Because too many people are driving into fast-food restaurants sucking up tons of carbohydrates, fat, and salt. That’s just one illustration of conformity. I’ll write more about personal development later, as it can affect your entire life.

                My comments about career development and psychology tell you that I don’t support conformity. In the early 1950s, Dr. Carl Rogers, considered the most influential psychologist of the 20^th Century, tried to move psychology forward, breaking some of the conformity in the field, moving individuals toward trusting their own knowledge. However, his thoughts were relegated to a position of just another theory. In the 1960s Dr. David Tiedeman, a Harvard University professor, and a luminary in the field of career development, also tried to lead the career development field toward a vision for enhanced personal development, but he received the same trophy status as Rogers, as the field continued on its conformity path.

                Now having said that I want to suggest that the leaders in both psychology and career development are doing what life is speaking to them. Therefore, in their mind they are doing it right and well. Hence, it all comes down to perception, as in what you believe and how you see the world. In this sense, no right and wrong exists, only DIFFERENT points to view. But a difference does exist.

Traditional psychology and career development are in no way holistic paradigms (belief systems). The traditional approach offers a lock-step set of protocols to choose from, but that comes from the science on which it is based, which for that group matches their practice and research. However, the LifePRocess theory and the LifeProcess Philosophy is based on the newer science, Quantum physics (principles useful in everyday life), and this allows you to play all over life. But it also holds you accountable for your perceptions. In other words, whatever you don’t like reflects your value system, it says little about what you’re commenting on. In other words, when you own your perceptions, you look at the object or person commented on as a way to learn more about yourself.

Further, when you live life-as-process you experience less stress, and this supports your immune system. Translated, you have less picky illnesses, colds and the like, because you don’t weigh your immune system down with too much stress.  Hence, conformity can increase stress, whereas living life-as-process points toward less stress.

We’re all at different places in our life and perception, and the best we can do is work toward that which improves our over-all well-being.

                I’m Dr. Anna Miller-Tiedeman, owner of the NEW Careering Institute, Inc., and I welcome your comments and questions, just e-mail me: anna@life-is-career.com.