What is good for me? What ought I do?
These questions are implied each time we seek what those around us aren't seeking or what those around us don't already expect us to seek. Perhaps what others find valuable doesn't ring true for us. This will cause us to begin to perceive ourselves as having unique needs, and we'd then become inclined to find unique ways of satisfying those needs. Perhaps the religion of our parents feels hollow. Perhaps the family business is not for us. Perhaps the types of activities enjoyed by our peers brings us no joy. In each case we'll begin exploring other options, even before we do so deliberately.
Given time, explicit questions might emerge. We might ask ourselves, given dedication, what skill could I excel at? or what unique contribution might I make to our common world? These types of questions are definitely on the minds of adolescents who are in the process of choosing what path to take in life (should they be so lucky to have options). Should I attend college? If so, where? What should I major in? They know that each choice eliminates other possibilities, so they seek to make the choice that they'll find satisfying. This process might give rise to futher questions, like who ought I become? or who am I? How ought I live my life such that I make it my own?
So, what are you doing to make your world your own? What projects are you engaged with that make you eager to wake up in the morning and dive in? When we're living the life we want to be living, we've made our world our own, and we're eager to wake each day. If you're not there yet—and maybe we never fully can be—what can you do to get yourself more fully there? Part of this will involve identifying the appropriate horizon of ownership. Perhaps you need to work on projects close to home—tending that garden, painting the room, or fixing up the house. Of course, it helps if you own the house. Perhaps the appropriate horizon of ownership is your career horizon. Do you find your work fulfilling? If not, how can you begin to take steps in that direction? Or, perhaps the domain you most want to own is social. Have you found your people? If not, what can you do to find them? And so on.
