This made a lot of sense, seems simple. This question (what career should I choose?) has been my biggest anxiety and even now when I'm in Uni, and love every lecture and find it all so fascinating, I've still been questioning my choices. This gave me reassurance! Thanks!
The difference between, something you love where you don't need to go too far with it, and something you love, where you wanna know as much as possible is important. Also, just because you're good at something, doesn't mean that's the thing you have to do.
I find what you're saying really interesting, but I also feel like there's a difference to the level of picking things apart with respect to working in academic research and working in an industry. When I was in my master's degree in biochemistry, and I first realized academic research is not for me (which was a very frightening realization), I really felt like picking this thing that I love apart is not for me. But then I started working at a biotech company and realized that it wasn't that I didn't like to pick it apart, I just didn't like to do it in the way the academic research does. In a way i think academic research is picking a field apart in the most basic, pure way. For me, at least, that's too hardcore. I like the industry way much better - where there is more room both for the scientific research but also for processes involving application and bringing the research to a product that will interest a costumer. it's like an extra process that doesn't exist in academic research. Of course there's liking something as 'magic' or liking it to the level of tinkering with what exactly makes it tick, but there are also levels for the picking apart bit. Another point with regards to food, I personally love to cook (and eat, obviously), and the more time passes (and frankly, my scientific degrees really pushed me over the edge in that respect) the more I would like to pick it apart and learn exactly what happens when you cook food and how you do it well. however, getting the education for such a thing is just as 'affordable' as getting a degree, which is to say I would probably only do it if I actually intended to work in it. which I don't. because I might like to know exactly how it works technically (I hope I use the word correctly - to be proficient), but I would not like to have it as a job (to be a professional). Also - now I want pasta.
Interesting perspective! I am doing a master's degree right now, trying to decide what's the best path for me. With regards to the chemistry behind cooking - you can always buy a book on the topic or search for informative TH-cam videos or whatever, educating yourself at a much lower cost ;)
I imagine a sign at your front door No Unsolicited Bake Off Conversations. Your experience of loving food but not caring how it's made is something I'm yet to encounter. I can't help but want to tinker with something I love and know how it's done. It kinda gets exhausting though, I think it's good to just know how to love something for what it is
I love your videos because it makes me feel like I'm just chilling with a friend and talking about the things that just kind of flow through our minds every day. Could you make a video about the different types of careers you thought you wanted growing up and how you knew publishing was the right one? I'm a college students and this is what I stress about ALL THE TIME.
I love this so much. As a book editor, I watch people's eyes glaze over when I talk about grammar and the different types of editing. And while the CMoS isn't exactly thrilling, I love that moment of figuring out what works. I know i'm in the right industry because I'm not particularly observant or detail oriented in other areas of my life. But with books? I obsess (in the best way).
Awesome project Leena! Looking forward to the next one. My questions would be: 1. How can you start building towards a career in the publishing industry, specifically in PR or Editorial? How can someone without direct experience in publishing add value to their resume? 2. What are you reading right now? :D 3. Favourite pancake topping GO Thank you Leena xx
you mentioned bake off and i am sad bc it reminded me it's not returning this summer. though i'd be here for a bake off rant, getting multiple perspectives is always good. I love cooking and backing, but the main component in why i love it is the act of making something (which i am usually crap at, crap at arts, crap at crafts, crap at building stuff) and also the whole process of following a recipe is like a momentary cure to all my brain noise. just concentrating on getting the measurements right and the texture and everything and when i am finished, i have something delicious. also i love cooking for others, making something for them to enjoy and as an act of caring. IT'S TORTELLINI!
I always find it strange when people say they don't enjoy cooking. I was raised cooking and I never had 'kiddy food' like nuggets or whatever. My parents have encouraged me to experiment with flavours and spices from a very young age. I'm moving out in a week and the people I'm flat sharing with don't really cook so I think I'm really going to enjoy cooking for everyone 😊 also, I will be doing what I love - I'll be being a host/performer for a holiday park! So excited 😃
this is literally the best video for me. I've been worrying about my degree and career for the past while but as someone doing a literature degree and both a lover of food and hater of cooking, i didnt even have to apply these analogies to my own life, you literally just used two examples i 100% relate to
Leena I love these kinds of videos, they're particularly useful for me at the moment because I'm going to university in September and I'm hoping to do an english literature degree with an end goal of working in publishing. It's great to hear someone talk about a career that I'm so interested in, it just cements my resolution of how much I want to do this, so thanks xx
To everything you just said: me too! I'm a senior and love books and am interested in doing something with writing/literature/publishing as my career :) I just need to find out how to get there lol
Kat LeClair that's really cool, good luck with that! I'm not sure how different it is for you because I live in Ireland but for me I just need a degree in English or something similar, hopefully you get to do what you want!
Hi that sounds amazing As a 17 year old deciding what path to take after school and has considered an English degree countless times due to genuine interest(among many degrees because I'm confused as hell) but still feel unsure,can you tell me how your university experience went and what is going on in the career boat now 4 years later?
I agree with you about food. Also, I don't feel like thinking about food until I'm hungry. I don't want to plan ahead to make sure I've bought all the ingredients and is everything in date....blah blah blah. I love food and will happily pay someone else to make delicious things. It's now March and the extent of my "cooking" has been boiling pasta or using the microwave.
this was so good! another perspective i heard about choosing a career that i found interesting is not 'do what you love' but do smth for what you're willing to make sacrifices. and maybe that ties in a little bit with 'keeping the lid on'. if you're willing to sacrifice that mystery and get into the technicalities then that's what you should do
If you feel comfortable, would you consider doing an update/follow up on your aim to get healthy? Your video about your relationship with your body was very interesting and quite relatable. I think women (and all people) have every right to prioritise their health and alter their body if it's going to make them happier. Of course there are healthy and unhealthy ways to achieve these goals. But for people to say body positive advocates shouldn't loose weight if they choose to is neglecting the fact that feminism is about choice and full autonomy over our bodies.
I definitely feel that about youtube videos. I definitely love watching, but no particular need to make them. And I feel there are so many youtubers sharing advice on how it starts, I almost feel like if I enjoy videos I should need to feel the need of make them myself..
Leena! I know this video is so old at this point, but I hope you know that it truly helped me decide what I wanted to "be when I grow up." I watched it 7 years ago and I've been on the same path since and I feel so happy with my choices. So thank you for helping me use my curiosity!
I don't particularly like cooking, but I don't mind doing it. It's worth the money saved and being able to control what ingredients are used. I love tortellini. It's ravioli that rarely falls apart when you cook it. I don't think I'll ever bother making it from scratch, though. That's too much work for what you get in return. I'd rather just make a good sauce and use a less fancy pasta.
I completely agree with you, but I never managed to put this toughts in the proper form like you did! If I may add something, I think you understand that the path you've chosen is the right one for you when you find yourself capable of talking about the most boring aspect of your work with bright eyes and trying to convince others that it's not so boring as it sounds ahah :D I'm studying molecular biology and some days ago I was explaining to a high school girl what molecular biology is and as I finished she looked at me and said: ''wow, I can really see how you love it by the way you talk about it!''. I was so pleased to hear that and it that very momenti I realized that I couldn't have chosen any better!
This was actually a (sneakily?) reaffirming take on choices and careers etc etc. I haven't quite thought of it in the end product vs. Pick it apart way, so I'm quite glad you made it so simple here. It also helps me put a lot of previous choices in perspective (i.e. I worked at a professional theatre and had a right difficult time with it - prob bc I enjoy the magic of theatre more than I enjoy the work of production.) anyway, thanks as always for your great insights! Xx
I hate the sound of chewing, but that ending still made me laugh. I needed this lighthearted chat, especially since this is something that's felt so huge and heavy. And I loved the comparison with food and cooking
Now I want some tortellini. I love food too but don't have any cooking skills and that's ok. I get the whole finding what you want to take apart thing and it just comes from trying different things or taking some random class. Didn't realize it until recently but I had already found what I love that deeply through my love of reading books at the age of 8 when I was introduced to my first mystery novel by my 2nd grade teacher (maybe even earlier).
Can I just say thank you for putting my recent thoughts about university and my future career into a coherent analysis! I hardly ever watch advice videos because in my opinion they are all just a bit too similar and the advice people give is quite obivious but after this video I am really looking forward to yout series. Also please keep the unconventional style because it feels like having a relaxed chat with a friend.
THIS MADE SO MUCH SENSE WOW. i was thinking that the other day because when i'm scrolling through my subscriptions on youtube, if i see a video about writing tips or anything like that, i'll immediately click on it. whereas if i see a video of art tips, i'm not particularly interested, even though i love art and i love videos about folios or sketchbook tours or whatever. but its the final product that's interesting, not the process. whereas with writing its like but HOW? so this explains a lot. thank you. so excited for more!
I totally know what you mean when you talked about the different kinds of love you can have for something. I took a class in university about movies where we had to analyse them and think about what shots were you used and why and I hated it! I just wanted to enjoy the movie without having to think about the how and the why. Food is in kind of in a different category for me though bevause we all need it to live. I feel like knowing how to cook, or knowing where your food came from is important. There is a different industry behind food production than say how a book is made. I don't really know what I'm trying to say really. Just that food connects the whole world in a way nothing else does and I think that there needs to be more awareness about where food comes from and who was involved in the process. I don't know.... just some thoughts I guess.
i loved this video! i feel a similar way about music like you do about cooking, like i love listening to it and singing along, but not professionally or seriously. it makes me happy, but i know i would never be able to make music myself and that's cool, because i can just enjoy the amazing stuff that other, genuinely talented people have made.
i loved the way how at the beginning I had no clue what you talking about food had to do anything with career choices and in the end it made perfectly sense😂 no, honestly I admire the way you talk and structure what you want so say, it's so fascinating! Also, enjoy your tOrTeLLinI!😏
o m g, i just had a bit of an epiphany halfway through this -- I've spent about 6 years of my life studying music under the impression because it's always been what I've loved and wanted to do, well in theory that is. I have a degree in songwriting but I've always, however, found the mechanics behind music boring and it made me feel like the Worst Musician Ever because everyone around me was super excited about harmonic scales and how to compress vocals (??? had to think really hard about what I actually learnt because I've repressed a LOT). I still love music and I even love playing and writing music, but not to the extent where it's my main passion and I CRAVE or even want to know everything there is about it, I just love the feeling of it. Took me long-ass to realise this, and having thought of it in a "it's ok to just like the general idea of it" kind of way would have saved me a lot of distress, money but also, i guess, life experience. real deep
Yeees! I love food and eating but hate cooking and things like bake off. I'm lucky my partner enjoys cooking. I'm in my mid 30s and still not sure what I want to do career wise. Maybe one day I'll figure it out!
i rarely comment on videos, but i am a very avid "spectator". this time, though, i wanted to catch the opportunity to ask one of the most intelligent, well spoken, articulate people i know something that is keeping me awake from quite some time: how do i balance love, and having very deep roots, and having many things that give me happiness but are tied to one specific place (in my case, rome, my home city), and my career aspirations that would involve moving? in short, how do i balance the confort of familiar happiness with aspirations? thank you in advance, and sorry for any mistake in my english... by the way, as an italian, i'm truly horrified by the way you cooked those tortellini: you need to get the water to boil, then put salt in it, and ONLY THEN put the tortellini in!
This is such a good way of making decisions and I think that it might have just confirmed that I'm making the right choice about picking a history degree over an English lit one. I love books, I like analysing them and writing essays about them, but I find history so fascinating and I just want to know everything about it. Thank you xxx
About not caring about knowing how food is made: there's a line in the Night Circus about midnight dinners where there's no menu because the host wants no map of the culinary route, they want it to be a surprise to he enjoyed without expectation. That's all lol
You have such a fantastic way of piecing things together. I had no idea where you were going with the whole food thing until you linked it up with how you feel about the book industry and then suddenly it all made sense. Brilliant advice. Hope you enjoyed your tortellini 💃
This video really helped. I really like the question "do you want to take the lid off?" I've known for years that I want to work in music but wasn't really sure where, I finished uni last summer and I've been teaching part time but thinking about what aspect of the industry I really want to take the lid off and see all the detail in is the tech and running of live venues. Thanks for the thoughts :)
I second the whole, love food/hate cooking, thing. And I really dislike bake off! Your channel is one of the few I still watch when I'm in a strange or difficult place mentally, I genuinely enjoy your content and am looking forward to your 40 videos :)
I'd be interested to hear you talk about how to get motivated to fix your life when you're just completely apathetic about everything. Absolutely love your videos! Funfact: yours is the only channel I've actually clicked the bell notification thing for xx
Hi Leena- I love everything about books: the covers, the text, the process that goes into creating them... etc. I'm a senior in high school this year and need to start figuring out what I want to do with my life. Can you talk about working in the publishing industry? How did you get started? What's your job like on a day-to-day basis? Where would you ideally like to be in this industry? I think I would want to work in publishing one day or, better yet, have something of mine published, so I would really like to hear your thoughts on the business. Thanks!
One of my favourite non-fiction books is a book called What Should I with my life? by Po Bronson. Its not a self help book. instead Po explores pretty much what you were discussing only its not about him but a range of different people. It basically explores how people got where they were for whatever readon it occurred. I love it and think everyone should read it.
I appreciated the long-winded seemingly unrelated parallel with your feelings about food, nice job. Also I had a thought similar to this today but I couldn't quite structure it and I'm very grateful about you eloquence right now :D Great video, keep it up!
I really love how you edited this video, Leena!! Also, this was really insightful. I never considered how there are things I love so much I want to dissect their inner workings until I'm an expert, and there are certain other things that I'm just intent to know exist and enjoy them.
I love everything about this and what an interesting way to look at careers. I am finding myself at my own crossroads as far as making that next step in life and this video was a nice response to the scare question that many hold at some point in their lives
In Germany we call them tortellini, don't know about the UK ;) This is actually excellent advice. I am contemplating if I should go into the publishing industry or not. I have to admit that my main motivation is because I love writing. I love writing and I have wanted to be a writer ever since I was little. I have heard from other authors that they didn't want to study writing because it would destroy their process - I often sit there and think 'What the hell am I doing, please help'. So I'd love to take off the lid of that and fall right in. I'm a bit scared about the disenchantment though - for me books are a magical thing and I'm pretty sure the publishing industry is just as ruthless in a way as other industries so that might be a bit hard at first. Still, I'd love to know how books are made and how everything works. The problem is the same would apply to History. I love History. I love knowing when which king ruled and what effects that had on the population of which country and I often get that glazed look when I talk about things like that (which I can totally understand :P). But I guess I'd have a bit more luck earing money in publishing than as a historian...
Completely agree with your opinion on food. I. Love. Food. But I HATE cooking. I hate having to cook, I don't care how you made it, I just want to eat it. I'd rather do the dishes than cook. I think it also has to do with when I'm hungry I'm grumpy, which then makes me impatient haha.
Wow, thank you for this video. What you said has really resonated with me and I think I really needed it right now. I'm at a crucial, terribly busy, terribly tedious part of my PhD program and this idea of taking the lid off really helped revamped my drive. Maybe the video is hitting home with me more than it will other people but oh well lol thanks Leena
What is your opinion on change and how do you deal with it? (in terms of your life). Would you rather stay in a mediocre position, or would you rather jump to what you think is a higher place but runs the risk of being a lot worse than expected? I've very recently (like, an hour ago) discovered that I'm completely against change and will avoid it wherever possible, much more than I thought I was
Thank you so much for making this, career is one of the things that stresses me out the most and I only just turned sixteen... I would love to see more of these!
I am rather excited for this series I must say! You can do this! I do have a question...how do you forgive yourself for mistakes? I have an awful habit of letting mine pile up and eat me alive in the moments I'm craving confidence the most. Dont know if that's a bit too abstract, but there we go, it's out there now!
What is the first thing, or first few things you should do after a break up? (my relationship of 2 years ended recently and i'm feeling kinda lost). love this idea of a series of videos x
I would love you to make a video on your thoughts about Polish immigrants living in the UK. (Do you personally know any Poles? What do young middle-class Brits like yourself think about them? How well assimilated are they? Have they contribute anything to your life? Do you see them as "Eastern Europeans" Bulgarians, Romanians etc) There's over a million Poles in the UK, but they seem to be invisible in the media. I've only ever watched/read about Poles in the UK in the context of the Brexit referendum and why people voted Leave (but these were mainly opinions of people whose jobs had been "taken" by Poles)...
Thanks for affirming my degree choice(s)/that I am indeed a gigantic political science/policy nerd. ;) Question: how do I balance long-term career goals with enjoying what I'm doing here and now?
Yes! I love the 'pick it apart' love - that's how I ended up where I am, and it is so necessary when you have to work all hours and crazy times to keep the love. Question - best recommended books on gender would be great.
I don't think I feel that way about anything. I'm really curious about everything, but I'm not particularly passionate about anything. I have no idea what I want to do at all.
I love my job but hate the town I live in. How do you balance smart career choices (I'd be stupid to quit) with the desire to settle down someplace you feel at home?
I agree with literally everything you said about cooking, and incidentally those are my favourite pasta things from that range at Sainsbury's. I also don't know what they're called, but I'm fairly sure it's not gnocci? Because I have a feeling that has something to do with potato? Idk. This isn't a question you necessarily have to devote an entire video to, but I am dying to know anyway - where did you get your shirt from? Is it ocean-themed? Enquiring minds need to know.
I feel conflicted because there are some things whose end product I love so much (like food and books), that I want to get to know the intricacies of so that I can be more involved in the process and make it myself (so, cooking and writing), but I don't have the patience/willpower to learn? Like I love the end products and want to be able to participate in a way, but I'm not really engaged by the processes of cooking and writing and not patient enough to take the time to get good at them
I studied drama at Aber ;-) and I wanted to understand how they work methods of how actors work the relationship between actor director. can I act no. can't remember lines for toffee can I understand beckett yes
I know you've touched on the subject before but how do you deal with being alone? Like, not being lonely but being on your own for a good couple of hours a day. I'm finding it pretty difficult recently to deal with this factor when driving and not thinking I'm gonna die just because I haven't got someone that I know near me at all times. Love your content and openness :)
(sorry for commenting so many questions - my life is a mess lol) How can I stop feeling guilty about taking time to relax? I know self-care is important but it always makes me more stressed because I can't stop thinking about all of the work I could be doing.
I've recently had the same issue and the way I deal with it is: You know those times where you just can't concentrate on anything and no matter how hard you try your brain is wandering and you can't seem to get anything done? I use those times for the whole self-care shabang, by accepting that I am tired and my brain just isn't working at its best. That way, when I come back I'm much more relaxed, much happier and MUCH less frustrated with myself so I find myself getting more work done. Does that make sense? Hope I'm not being intrusive, I know the question was intended for Lena!
![Where to get your inspiration. [11/40]](/img/n.gif)
I would vote for an update on how your life and health is going following 'the truth about being chubby' video, which I loved.
This made a lot of sense, seems simple. This question (what career should I choose?) has been my biggest anxiety and even now when I'm in Uni, and love every lecture and find it all so fascinating, I've still been questioning my choices. This gave me reassurance! Thanks!
I already know that these next few months are going to be the highlight of my year.
The difference between, something you love where you don't need to go too far with it, and something you love, where you wanna know as much as possible is important. Also, just because you're good at something, doesn't mean that's the thing you have to do.
This is so novel - honestly never heard this perspective before.... love it!
I think, for true irony, you now need to appear on Baking with Layton 😂😂
TheSophieDoubleYou exactly what I thought! :D
I find what you're saying really interesting, but I also feel like there's a difference to the level of picking things apart with respect to working in academic research and working in an industry. When I was in my master's degree in biochemistry, and I first realized academic research is not for me (which was a very frightening realization), I really felt like picking this thing that I love apart is not for me. But then I started working at a biotech company and realized that it wasn't that I didn't like to pick it apart, I just didn't like to do it in the way the academic research does. In a way i think academic research is picking a field apart in the most basic, pure way. For me, at least, that's too hardcore. I like the industry way much better - where there is more room both for the scientific research but also for processes involving application and bringing the research to a product that will interest a costumer. it's like an extra process that doesn't exist in academic research. Of course there's liking something as 'magic' or liking it to the level of tinkering with what exactly makes it tick, but there are also levels for the picking apart bit.
Another point with regards to food, I personally love to cook (and eat, obviously), and the more time passes (and frankly, my scientific degrees really pushed me over the edge in that respect) the more I would like to pick it apart and learn exactly what happens when you cook food and how you do it well. however, getting the education for such a thing is just as 'affordable' as getting a degree, which is to say I would probably only do it if I actually intended to work in it. which I don't. because I might like to know exactly how it works technically (I hope I use the word correctly - to be proficient), but I would not like to have it as a job (to be a professional).
Also - now I want pasta.
Interesting perspective! I am doing a master's degree right now, trying to decide what's the best path for me. With regards to the chemistry behind cooking - you can always buy a book on the topic or search for informative TH-cam videos or whatever, educating yourself at a much lower cost ;)
Any thoughts on how to stay motivated, get stuff done and actually start being productive and truly enjoy that state?
"do you (just) love it with the lid on?" - brilliant! i'm going to need to have a think about that ...
I imagine a sign at your front door
No Unsolicited Bake Off Conversations.
Your experience of loving food but not caring how it's made is something I'm yet to encounter. I can't help but want to tinker with something I love and know how it's done. It kinda gets exhausting though, I think it's good to just know how to love something for what it is
Accept the pasta as it is Sam. Accept it like a person. Imperfect yet whole.
*Professor trelawney eyes*
I love your videos because it makes me feel like I'm just chilling with a friend and talking about the things that just kind of flow through our minds every day. Could you make a video about the different types of careers you thought you wanted growing up and how you knew publishing was the right one? I'm a college students and this is what I stress about ALL THE TIME.
I love this so much. As a book editor, I watch people's eyes glaze over when I talk about grammar and the different types of editing. And while the CMoS isn't exactly thrilling, I love that moment of figuring out what works. I know i'm in the right industry because I'm not particularly observant or detail oriented in other areas of my life. But with books? I obsess (in the best way).
Awesome project Leena! Looking forward to the next one.
My questions would be:
1. How can you start building towards a career in the publishing industry, specifically in PR or Editorial? How can someone without direct experience in publishing add value to their resume?
2. What are you reading right now? :D
3. Favourite pancake topping GO
Thank you Leena xx
you mentioned bake off and i am sad bc it reminded me it's not returning this summer. though i'd be here for a bake off rant, getting multiple perspectives is always good.
I love cooking and backing, but the main component in why i love it is the act of making something (which i am usually crap at, crap at arts, crap at crafts, crap at building stuff) and also the whole process of following a recipe is like a momentary cure to all my brain noise. just concentrating on getting the measurements right and the texture and everything and when i am finished, i have something delicious. also i love cooking for others, making something for them to enjoy and as an act of caring.
IT'S TORTELLINI!
I always find it strange when people say they don't enjoy cooking. I was raised cooking and I never had 'kiddy food' like nuggets or whatever. My parents have encouraged me to experiment with flavours and spices from a very young age. I'm moving out in a week and the people I'm flat sharing with don't really cook so I think I'm really going to enjoy cooking for everyone 😊 also, I will be doing what I love - I'll be being a host/performer for a holiday park! So excited 😃
Such a nice talk ! The exact reason why I chose to become a teacher - I love education. And everything that comes with it and young people.
this is literally the best video for me. I've been worrying about my degree and career for the past while but as someone doing a literature degree and both a lover of food and hater of cooking, i didnt even have to apply these analogies to my own life, you literally just used two examples i 100% relate to
Leena I love these kinds of videos, they're particularly useful for me at the moment because I'm going to university in September and I'm hoping to do an english literature degree with an end goal of working in publishing. It's great to hear someone talk about a career that I'm so interested in, it just cements my resolution of how much I want to do this, so thanks xx
GOOD LUCK
To everything you just said: me too! I'm a senior and love books and am interested in doing something with writing/literature/publishing as my career :) I just need to find out how to get there lol
Yola Jones thank you!
Kat LeClair that's really cool, good luck with that! I'm not sure how different it is for you because I live in Ireland but for me I just need a degree in English or something similar, hopefully you get to do what you want!
Hi that sounds amazing
As a 17 year old deciding what path to take after school and has considered an English degree countless times due to genuine interest(among many degrees because I'm confused as hell) but still feel unsure,can you tell me how your university experience went and what is going on in the career boat now 4 years later?
I agree with you about food. Also, I don't feel like thinking about food until I'm hungry. I don't want to plan ahead to make sure I've bought all the ingredients and is everything in date....blah blah blah. I love food and will happily pay someone else to make delicious things. It's now March and the extent of my "cooking" has been boiling pasta or using the microwave.
My one wish right now is that everyone I knew enjoyed TH-cam videos so that I could share this with them and they would appreciate how great it was.
Yes, yes, yes!!! This makes so much sense but this is the first time I've ever heard anyone lay it out like that.
this was so good! another perspective i heard about choosing a career that i found interesting is not 'do what you love' but do smth for what you're willing to make sacrifices. and maybe that ties in a little bit with 'keeping the lid on'. if you're willing to sacrifice that mystery and get into the technicalities then that's what you should do
I totally agree with this and it's great advice for anyone wondering what to do as a career. Choose curiosity! 💖
If you feel comfortable, would you consider doing an update/follow up on your aim to get healthy? Your video about your relationship with your body was very interesting and quite relatable. I think women (and all people) have every right to prioritise their health and alter their body if it's going to make them happier. Of course there are healthy and unhealthy ways to achieve these goals. But for people to say body positive advocates shouldn't loose weight if they choose to is neglecting the fact that feminism is about choice and full autonomy over our bodies.
I definitely feel that about youtube videos. I definitely love watching, but no particular need to make them. And I feel there are so many youtubers sharing advice on how it starts, I almost feel like if I enjoy videos I should need to feel the need of make them myself..
how to feel motivated, like you are capable of doing stuff? been feeling pretty useless and lazy lately and i hated it.
Leena! I know this video is so old at this point, but I hope you know that it truly helped me decide what I wanted to "be when I grow up." I watched it 7 years ago and I've been on the same path since and I feel so happy with my choices. So thank you for helping me use my curiosity!
I don't particularly like cooking, but I don't mind doing it. It's worth the money saved and being able to control what ingredients are used. I love tortellini. It's ravioli that rarely falls apart when you cook it. I don't think I'll ever bother making it from scratch, though. That's too much work for what you get in return. I'd rather just make a good sauce and use a less fancy pasta.
I completely agree with you, but I never managed to put this toughts in the proper form like you did! If I may add something, I think you understand that the path you've chosen is the right one for you when you find yourself capable of talking about the most boring aspect of your work with bright eyes and trying to convince others that it's not so boring as it sounds ahah :D I'm studying molecular biology and some days ago I was explaining to a high school girl what molecular biology is and as I finished she looked at me and said: ''wow, I can really see how you love it by the way you talk about it!''. I was so pleased to hear that and it that very momenti I realized that I couldn't have chosen any better!
This was actually a (sneakily?) reaffirming take on choices and careers etc etc. I haven't quite thought of it in the end product vs. Pick it apart way, so I'm quite glad you made it so simple here. It also helps me put a lot of previous choices in perspective (i.e. I worked at a professional theatre and had a right difficult time with it - prob bc I enjoy the magic of theatre more than I enjoy the work of production.) anyway, thanks as always for your great insights! Xx
I hate the sound of chewing, but that ending still made me laugh. I needed this lighthearted chat, especially since this is something that's felt so huge and heavy. And I loved the comparison with food and cooking
I keep coming back to this video again and again. There's something so satisfying about the structure (and content of course)
My teacher was asking us about careers today and it stressed me out. Thank you Leena for cheering me up.
I suddenly love lent
I'm honestly so excited for all of these videos. It's like Christmas but without all the socks & junky knick knacks.
Now I want some tortellini. I love food too but don't have any cooking skills and that's ok. I get the whole finding what you want to take apart thing and it just comes from trying different things or taking some random class. Didn't realize it until recently but I had already found what I love that deeply through my love of reading books at the age of 8 when I was introduced to my first mystery novel by my 2nd grade teacher (maybe even earlier).
Can I just say thank you for putting my recent thoughts about university and my future career into a coherent analysis!
I hardly ever watch advice videos because in my opinion they are all just a bit too similar and the advice people give is quite obivious but after this video I am really looking forward to yout series.
Also please keep the unconventional style because it feels like having a relaxed chat with a friend.
THIS MADE SO MUCH SENSE WOW. i was thinking that the other day because when i'm scrolling through my subscriptions on youtube, if i see a video about writing tips or anything like that, i'll immediately click on it. whereas if i see a video of art tips, i'm not particularly interested, even though i love art and i love videos about folios or sketchbook tours or whatever. but its the final product that's interesting, not the process. whereas with writing its like but HOW? so this explains a lot. thank you. so excited for more!
I totally know what you mean when you talked about the different kinds of love you can have for something. I took a class in university about movies where we had to analyse them and think about what shots were you used and why and I hated it! I just wanted to enjoy the movie without having to think about the how and the why. Food is in kind of in a different category for me though bevause we all need it to live. I feel like knowing how to cook, or knowing where your food came from is important. There is a different industry behind food production than say how a book is made. I don't really know what I'm trying to say really. Just that food connects the whole world in a way nothing else does and I think that there needs to be more awareness about where food comes from and who was involved in the process. I don't know.... just some thoughts I guess.
i loved this video!
i feel a similar way about music like you do about cooking, like i love listening to it and singing along, but not professionally or seriously. it makes me happy, but i know i would never be able to make music myself and that's cool, because i can just enjoy the amazing stuff that other, genuinely talented people have made.
i loved the way how at the beginning I had no clue what you talking about food had to do anything with career choices and in the end it made perfectly sense😂 no, honestly I admire the way you talk and structure what you want so say, it's so fascinating!
Also, enjoy your tOrTeLLinI!😏
o m g, i just had a bit of an epiphany halfway through this -- I've spent about 6 years of my life studying music under the impression because it's always been what I've loved and wanted to do, well in theory that is. I have a degree in songwriting but I've always, however, found the mechanics behind music boring and it made me feel like the Worst Musician Ever because everyone around me was super excited about harmonic scales and how to compress vocals (??? had to think really hard about what I actually learnt because I've repressed a LOT). I still love music and I even love playing and writing music, but not to the extent where it's my main passion and I CRAVE or even want to know everything there is about it, I just love the feeling of it. Took me long-ass to realise this, and having thought of it in a "it's ok to just like the general idea of it" kind of way would have saved me a lot of distress, money but also, i guess, life experience. real deep
Yeees! I love food and eating but hate cooking and things like bake off. I'm lucky my partner enjoys cooking. I'm in my mid 30s and still not sure what I want to do career wise. Maybe one day I'll figure it out!
i rarely comment on videos, but i am a very avid "spectator". this time, though, i wanted to catch the opportunity to ask one of the most intelligent, well spoken, articulate people i know something that is keeping me awake from quite some time: how do i balance love, and having very deep roots, and having many things that give me happiness but are tied to one specific place (in my case, rome, my home city), and my career aspirations that would involve moving? in short, how do i balance the confort of familiar happiness with aspirations? thank you in advance, and sorry for any mistake in my english... by the way, as an italian, i'm truly horrified by the way you cooked those tortellini: you need to get the water to boil, then put salt in it, and ONLY THEN put the tortellini in!
This is such a good way of making decisions and I think that it might have just confirmed that I'm making the right choice about picking a history degree over an English lit one. I love books, I like analysing them and writing essays about them, but I find history so fascinating and I just want to know everything about it. Thank you xxx
About not caring about knowing how food is made: there's a line in the Night Circus about midnight dinners where there's no menu because the host wants no map of the culinary route, they want it to be a surprise to he enjoyed without expectation. That's all lol
You have such a fantastic way of piecing things together. I had no idea where you were going with the whole food thing until you linked it up with how you feel about the book industry and then suddenly it all made sense. Brilliant advice.
Hope you enjoyed your tortellini 💃
This video really helped. I really like the question "do you want to take the lid off?" I've known for years that I want to work in music but wasn't really sure where, I finished uni last summer and I've been teaching part time but thinking about what aspect of the industry I really want to take the lid off and see all the detail in is the tech and running of live venues.
Thanks for the thoughts :)
I AM STRAPPED IN AND ONBOARD!
Also how have you managed to make boiling quick fix pasta arty? Fuck you.
I second the whole, love food/hate cooking, thing. And I really dislike bake off! Your channel is one of the few I still watch when I'm in a strange or difficult place mentally, I genuinely enjoy your content and am looking forward to your 40 videos :)
I'd be interested to hear you talk about how to get motivated to fix your life when you're just completely apathetic about everything. Absolutely love your videos! Funfact: yours is the only channel I've actually clicked the bell notification thing for xx
Hi Leena- I love everything about books: the covers, the text, the process that goes into creating them... etc. I'm a senior in high school this year and need to start figuring out what I want to do with my life. Can you talk about working in the publishing industry? How did you get started? What's your job like on a day-to-day basis? Where would you ideally like to be in this industry? I think I would want to work in publishing one day or, better yet, have something of mine published, so I would really like to hear your thoughts on the business. Thanks!
One of my favourite non-fiction books is a book called What Should I with my life? by Po Bronson. Its not a self help book. instead Po explores pretty much what you were discussing only its not about him but a range of different people. It basically explores how people got where they were for whatever readon it occurred. I love it and think everyone should read it.
ooo thank you I'll definitely look in to it!
I appreciated the long-winded seemingly unrelated parallel with your feelings about food, nice job. Also I had a thought similar to this today but I couldn't quite structure it and I'm very grateful about you eloquence right now :D Great video, keep it up!
I really love how you edited this video, Leena!! Also, this was really insightful. I never considered how there are things I love so much I want to dissect their inner workings until I'm an expert, and there are certain other things that I'm just intent to know exist and enjoy them.
I love everything about this and what an interesting way to look at careers. I am finding myself at my own crossroads as far as making that next step in life and this video was a nice response to the scare question that many hold at some point in their lives
In Germany we call them tortellini, don't know about the UK ;)
This is actually excellent advice. I am contemplating if I should go into the publishing industry or not. I have to admit that my main motivation is because I love writing. I love writing and I have wanted to be a writer ever since I was little. I have heard from other authors that they didn't want to study writing because it would destroy their process - I often sit there and think 'What the hell am I doing, please help'. So I'd love to take off the lid of that and fall right in. I'm a bit scared about the disenchantment though - for me books are a magical thing and I'm pretty sure the publishing industry is just as ruthless in a way as other industries so that might be a bit hard at first.
Still, I'd love to know how books are made and how everything works.
The problem is the same would apply to History. I love History. I love knowing when which king ruled and what effects that had on the population of which country and I often get that glazed look when I talk about things like that (which I can totally understand :P). But I guess I'd have a bit more luck earing money in publishing than as a historian...
Completely agree with your opinion on food. I. Love. Food. But I HATE cooking. I hate having to cook, I don't care how you made it, I just want to eat it. I'd rather do the dishes than cook. I think it also has to do with when I'm hungry I'm grumpy, which then makes me impatient haha.
Everyone one of your videos is always so helpful to me, I literally am so excited about this 40 days thingy . Thanks for continuing to make videos 💕💕
Wow, thank you for this video. What you said has really resonated with me and I think I really needed it right now. I'm at a crucial, terribly busy, terribly tedious part of my PhD program and this idea of taking the lid off really helped revamped my drive. Maybe the video is hitting home with me more than it will other people but oh well lol thanks Leena
This was such a wonderful video. I think the way I feel about your videos is similar to how you feel about food. They're just good for the soul.
How do you say no to opportunities that for whatever reason you can't do?
What is your opinion on change and how do you deal with it? (in terms of your life). Would you rather stay in a mediocre position, or would you rather jump to what you think is a higher place but runs the risk of being a lot worse than expected? I've very recently (like, an hour ago) discovered that I'm completely against change and will avoid it wherever possible, much more than I thought I was
Thank you so much for making this, career is one of the things that stresses me out the most and I only just turned sixteen... I would love to see more of these!
Glad I am not the only one who loves food but hates cooking! Also nice to know we are all having a mini crisis every third day about our career paths.
This truly helped me think a bit more clearly about my career options.
I am rather excited for this series I must say! You can do this! I do have a question...how do you forgive yourself for mistakes? I have an awful habit of letting mine pile up and eat me alive in the moments I'm craving confidence the most. Dont know if that's a bit too abstract, but there we go, it's out there now!
I'm currently asking myself the same question and honestly this was SO HELPFUL thank you!!
We are so similar. I love food but I couldn't care less about cooking. It is just boring. Also I love books and want to work in a publishing company.
What is the first thing, or first few things you should do after a break up?
(my relationship of 2 years ended recently and i'm feeling kinda lost).
love this idea of a series of videos x
I am so looking forward to the rest of your videos.
This is fab! Really looking forward to the rest of these videos! :) x
I would love you to make a video on your thoughts about Polish immigrants living in the UK. (Do you personally know any Poles? What do young middle-class Brits like yourself think about them? How well assimilated are they? Have they contribute anything to your life? Do you see them as "Eastern Europeans" Bulgarians, Romanians etc) There's over a million Poles in the UK, but they seem to be invisible in the media. I've only ever watched/read about Poles in the UK in the context of the Brexit referendum and why people voted Leave (but these were mainly opinions of people whose jobs had been "taken" by Poles)...
Thanks for affirming my degree choice(s)/that I am indeed a gigantic political science/policy nerd. ;) Question: how do I balance long-term career goals with enjoying what I'm doing here and now?
Yes! I love the 'pick it apart' love - that's how I ended up where I am, and it is so necessary when you have to work all hours and crazy times to keep the love.
Question - best recommended books on gender would be great.
Oh and mermaid shirt - amazing! 🙌
I don't think I feel that way about anything. I'm really curious about everything, but I'm not particularly passionate about anything. I have no idea what I want to do at all.
I needed this video this week so badly. Thank you!
I love my job but hate the town I live in. How do you balance smart career choices (I'd be stupid to quit) with the desire to settle down someplace you feel at home?
To me, cooking has always felt like a prerequisite for eating.
I agree with literally everything you said about cooking, and incidentally those are my favourite pasta things from that range at Sainsbury's. I also don't know what they're called, but I'm fairly sure it's not gnocci? Because I have a feeling that has something to do with potato? Idk. This isn't a question you necessarily have to devote an entire video to, but I am dying to know anyway - where did you get your shirt from? Is it ocean-themed? Enquiring minds need to know.
I am so here for this series
I feel conflicted because there are some things whose end product I love so much (like food and books), that I want to get to know the intricacies of so that I can be more involved in the process and make it myself (so, cooking and writing), but I don't have the patience/willpower to learn? Like I love the end products and want to be able to participate in a way, but I'm not really engaged by the processes of cooking and writing and not patient enough to take the time to get good at them
Try "Spaghetti alla contadina": very quick and delicious pasta recipe!
If I take the lid off...will it cook quicker?
Don't ask me why...I just have to know!
welp I'm watching this while eating, I feel like I'm having a very informal dinner with you haha!
wow thats an awesome perspective to look at. smart, i love it
I studied drama at Aber ;-) and I wanted to understand how they work methods of how actors work the relationship between actor director. can I act no. can't remember lines for toffee can I understand beckett yes
thank you! x
I'M JUST EXCITED TO BE SEEING YOUR FACE LOTS!!!! don't worry about your pasta parcels, I'm having naked noodles from the pot and dipping bread in it!!
I've been in my chosen career for 17 years. I still wonder what I'm going to do when I grow up! Lol
I really enjoy your content, and thoughts. I think you're incredibly smart :)
But can you enjoy analysing things without caring for the end product on it's own
how do you always have such thought provoking things to say?
How do I know if what I'm studying in uni is the right thing for me?
Asking for a friend x
Great concept for choosing a career :)
This is some darn good advice that I wish somebody had told me when I was younger haha
I know you've touched on the subject before but how do you deal with being alone? Like, not being lonely but being on your own for a good couple of hours a day. I'm finding it pretty difficult recently to deal with this factor when driving and not thinking I'm gonna die just because I haven't got someone that I know near me at all times. Love your content and openness :)
How's the weight loss going? I'm trying too and would love to hear any tips you've got/how you're going about it! :)
(sorry for commenting so many questions - my life is a mess lol) How can I stop feeling guilty about taking time to relax? I know self-care is important but it always makes me more stressed because I can't stop thinking about all of the work I could be doing.
I've recently had the same issue and the way I deal with it is: You know those times where you just can't concentrate on anything and no matter how hard you try your brain is wandering and you can't seem to get anything done? I use those times for the whole self-care shabang, by accepting that I am tired and my brain just isn't working at its best. That way, when I come back I'm much more relaxed, much happier and MUCH less frustrated with myself so I find myself getting more work done. Does that make sense? Hope I'm not being intrusive, I know the question was intended for Lena!
Not intrusive at all! Thank you for your lovely answer! I will definitely keep this in mind :)
Hope you're ok, you deserve a rest!
I come from a small town and moving to a big city, how do you deal with the different people i.e not as friendly
I didn't realise until right now how much I want a rant about Bake Off 😂