If you had asked Brian in the early 1980s what he did for a living, he would have said he played guitar and sang backup vocals for a band that toured the world. From the outside, Brian seemed like a successful musician, someone easy to label and stereotype.

But Brian wasn’t your typical musician. Besides writing hits, he loved science—a career he put on hold to join a British rock band. In the early 2000s, Brian returned to his original passion, and in August 2007, he earned his PhD in Astrophysics. Later, he worked with NASA on the mission to collect samples from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu, successfully bringing them back to Earth.

Not bad for someone who co-wrote iconic hits like “We Will Rock You” and “Fat Bottomed Girls”—an impressive achievement for Brian May, the legendary guitarist of Queen.

Right Now…

Many of us believe our current job defines who we are. “I am an engineer,” “I am a product manager,” or “I am a musician.” We feel stuck on a path we cannot change, or think others—and even we ourselves—cannot see us in another role. But careers are transitory. You aren’t defined by the job you had in college. Even if you’ve worked at the same company for over a decade, your role has likely changed.

What if, when asked “What do you do?” or “What is your profession?”, you answered with “Right now…”? “Right now, I’m an engineer.” “Right now, I’m a product manager.”

“Right now” is freeing. It gives you permission to change and be something else. It acknowledges that we are not fixed in our current roles, companies, or industries. Life is full of transitions, and “Right now” simply reflects where we are today.

Sources: