Stop looking for The One: The Inverted Pyramid of Life

What if we don't have to accept that our dream jobs or that more exciting career options have passed us and are no longer an option?

Here is how the pyramid of life normally works:

1. As a child, you explored.
2. As a student, you specialized.
3. Now, as an adult, you can easily define who you are to yourself and other people.

This is the path I have followed for a long time. This is the narrowing path most people will follow. Not because that’s what they want but because that’s what is expected from them.

For most this works out just fine, but what about those that are still searching for a true calling?

If you are still looking for your true calling, try the inverted pyramid:

Here is what the inverted pyramid of life looks like:

1. As a child, we are full of potential.
2. As a student, we can explore our affinities.
3. As an adult, we open up a world of opportunities.

With this look at life, the potential you have as a child is just the beginning—the tip of a cone of creativity that widens as you grow up. Because you’re optimizing for opportunities and not trying to define yourself through specific expertise, you can keep expanding your playground all your life.

Researchers have defined self-complexity to be when a person has the ability to identify themselves across multiple domains and roles.

The idea of self-complexity arises when we invert our pyramid of life, which also encourages personal growth and self-discovery. As you explore and evolve across various aspects of your identity, you will have a richer, fuller life.

When you stop trying to nail down your narrative and focus only on the most obvious relationships, life becomes a giant sandbox where we can learn anything, grow in any direction, and connect with anyone.

Maybe then, instead of asking, “So, what do you do for a living?” we’ll start asking: “So, what makes you feel alive these days?”