Thursday 28 June 2018

A Degree Free Life

I proudly say that I have no degree and as of now plan to live so.
A frequent question I am asked is, "If you have no degree then how will you get a job and how will you stand on your own feet?"
I don't want to boast but I want to share this to tell you that their is a possibility of life without a degree.

You may feel " starting something on your own is possible without a degree but getting a job is not"

At the age of 19 yrs I have been offered jobs. I have been offered a job to do train the trainers for school teachers, to facilitate people much older in age. People have asked me collaborate with them. I have worked as a artist designing diary covers. I have given advice to people designing workshop for kids.
People consider me worthy because they see my passion to work. They see my responsibility and maturity. My experience in life makes me who I am today. 

In my personal opinion I don't understand the life where for the first 20 years of a life, I am to only work towards creating a "future". Studying and working so that I can earn money some day. But the train doesn't stop when I start earning. I am to then work toward earning money for my child's future.
Well what about today. My question is why should I waste my life on creating a future when I can live a life where I can create a present. .

Also personally at the age of 15 I had felt it was is too early for me  to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life. I needed time to explore and discover. To try, fail and learn, to experience multiple things and gain perspectives before I start thinking which field I want to go deep or what work I want to do to earn my bread and butter. I personally felt instead of wasting time in studying for my 10th exam I would rather do, learn and experience.

Of course you may say that these jobs aren't very high paying.
To me standing on my own feet not only means financially independence but also discovering my own identity for myself and to be able to discover my own values and believes. Giving time to exploring and gaining perspectives have helped me in the journey to form my own understanding and values. 

I have been able to discover that lots of money or luxury is not what I want from life. I want to lead a simple and sustainable life which means I don't need too much money and also I have been able to experience that there are things beyond money.

Environment sustainability and a simple lifestyle are very strong values for me. Recently in a job recruitment process for a facilitator at an organization,  I felt the job I was being offered was going against my value system and I was able to freely express that.

All this clarity doesn't mean I don't have doubts at times, I do feel scared about what will happen or worry how will I earn for myself in the future but these doubts don't come because I don't have a degree, they come because being financially independence is an unknown territory and it will require me to go beyond who I am today.  Even people with degree get doubts or feel anxious for their future but the difference is that even though with doubts I am dependent on myself not on a system which tells the world who I am through a piece of paper. I am confident in my capability to learn, to do whatever I need to lead my life.

You may ask what I am doing now, well my journey of exploration and learning has not ended yet and that is what I am doing, enjoying life, doing projects, trying out things, following my passion, travelling and letting life be my guide and teacher. Mainly exploring my interest of environmental sustainability and alternative education ( working with children and youth ).

I dream of a society where people are earning their bread and butter from work that makes them feel alive. They are not getting jobs because of their piece of paper but because of their passion to work. People are not living life to earn but rather to live. I am extremely grateful to be able to lead this kind of life.

7 comments:

  1. Brave and beautiful Asawari!

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  2. Beautiful. When I was at the age of 15 we didn't have mobile or email to share such lovely anecdotes.

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  3. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing..its very encouraging!!

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  4. I think 60% professionals feel that they are not doing what they wanted, but something which they got. I would also want to join a league of people who work for those 60% students who are average in studies but have lot of potential for other careers, like having your own coffee shop or eatery or being a guide or anything unconventional career. Thanks for sharing.

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  5. It's amazing to read through your journey. We need more of happier people in this generation who are following their passion and exploring the possibilities rather than constraining themselves to mechanical world of earning a degree and then falling in the vicious cycle of earning and spending. Wish you all the best in the journey called life which has so much more to offer.

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  6. Very Nice Thoughts......I forsee Homeschooling and Alternative schooling being in high Demand in next 10 years.

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