Adapting the self to life or life to the self?

[JayG84]

I was programmed from a young age that it's necessary to adapt to life. That life is something that you have to "get through" so I should pick a safe career with benefits and a pension and I should just accept it and someday I'll get to retirement and I will have "won" life. Probably a lot of people were programmed with this mentality.

The problem is that I don't think I can make it to retirement doing what I'm doing. I'm an emotional and conceptual thinking, artistically minded male with a lot of feminine energy. And I chose a career that was the complete opposite of that. A very male dominated, mechanical type job that I'm not interested in at all.

I've been telling myself for 15 years that things will get better with acceptance. That I'm selfish and greedy for wanting a life that I can only dream about. I'm not aligned with any of my values and wants in life. The complete opposite actually, and then I wonder why I'm not satisfied.

Is it even possible to mould yourself to a life that doesn't seem to fit my personality? Or is the only way forward to align your life with the personality you already have? In other words, is your higher self mouldable or is it fixed? Is the unhappiness a sign from source that I'm doing life wrong?

[tuckerwphotography]

@JayG84 What does your intuition say?

[aurum]

5 hours ago, JayG84 said:

Is it even possible to mould yourself to a life that doesn't seem to fit my personality? Or is the only way forward to align your life with the personality you already have? In other words, is your higher self mouldable or is it fixed?

In my experience, your soul / higher self is relentless. It is not going to play small and give into our conditioning. It will keep calling you to merge with ever greater intensity.

5 hours ago, JayG84 said:

Is the unhappiness a sign from source that I'm doing life wrong?

Not "wrong" in a moral or judgemental sense. But we could say "wrong" in the sense that you're not being who you really are. That's what the signal of "unhappiness" is. You can almost think of it like a giant neon sign saying "YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY" from God.

Unless of course, you want to be miserable and unaligned. Perhaps there's lessons for you to learn by doing that. But by the sound of it, you've pretty much have had enough and are looking to realign with your authentic self.

[hyruga]

Life is complex and you have to adapt to life. For example, it's raining. Do you go out and get yourself drenched or do you carry an umbrella? Yes you adapt to life.

And yet, you can also let life adapt to you. 

[JayG84]

2 hours ago, tuckerwphotography said:

@JayG84 What does your intuition say?

Well the self is an illusion right. So I should be able to adapt to anything. Suffering is all in the mind. So my question where does aptitude come from? What makes me better suited do be an artist rather than a tradesman? Is it part of the ego that's adaptable, or is it part of your higher self that cannot be changed? I've learnt to be good at my job. But that's not the same thing as having a job that's the "right fit"...

[tuckerwphotography]

1 hour ago, JayG84 said:

Well the self is an illusion right. So I should be able to adapt to anything. Suffering is all in the mind. So my question where does aptitude come from? What makes me better suited do be an artist rather than a tradesman? Is it part of the ego that's adaptable, or is it part of your higher self that cannot be changed? I've learnt to be good at my job. But that's not the same thing as having a job that's the "right fit"...

@JayG84 I highly doubt that is what your intuition says. What you wrote sounds like your rational mind trying to make sense of your dilemma. 

If you're not happy, is that really what your Soul wants?

If you re-read your original posting, all the answers are already there. It seems like you already know the answers to your questions, you're just posting your doubts here so that others can validate your inner knowing. Nothing wrong with that at all, I'm just pointing out what I see from my perspective: you already know. 

Love yourself, brother. No reason to beat yourself up trying to be someone you're not.