Always the girl who knew exactly what she wanted, I’ve had all my ducks in a row since in high school and maybe even before that.
I was planning for UF by the time I was in sixth grade and knew I wanted to be a reporter by ninth. I never had a problem telling a perfect stranger my life plans. I had my elevator pitch perfected before anyone even asked.
But through the trial and error of classes and internships, I’ve changed my mind. In fact, my plans aren’t clear at all anymore, and only get hazier when they’re supposed to be cemented. I tell myself that this is okay because everyone goes through this. (Right?) Everyone questions what his or her “passions” really are or what they want to do with their time on earth.
Knowing that I’m not alone is supposed to make me feel better, but it doesn’t.
Via: Blogspot
But, I know I’m capable of getting a job as a reporter. I have one offer already, but now I’m stuck with the luxury of deciding whether or not to accept it. The more I talk about it, the more I worry that I’ll never find my niche, my calling. Deep down, I know what I want to do, and that’s more than some other people I know.
I want to do something in writing, media and communications, I tell them! (“Them” being friends, parents. Whoever will listen.) Whether its journalism, broadcast, public relations or even advertising, I want to tell stories and find that creative outlet. Unfortunately, that’s not exactly written verbatim under the requirement section for most jobs.
When asked what we want to do, I think we all tend to initially respond with the vague, deep answers like “something important, something that matters and something that I love or makes me happy.” But the harsh reality is that those ideals don’t always line up with an entry-level job that pays the bills.
So instead we joke about it. We make light of the situation and force ourselves to put it off, and worry about the stuff we already have on our plate, like our classes or weekend plans. We fear rejection, the unknown or the end of college.
Via: The Journey
But what does it really mean to take the next step?
We’re all here at a respectable four-year university, so obviously we have life goals. We were all told before we got here that college was a stepping stone into the real world, the time to make all the mistakes and then gear up for adulthood. But now I’m only getting closer to graduation, and that world seems more unfamiliar to me than ever.
Do you move back home? Do you apply for graduate school to prolong the inevitable? Do you take that first job offer that you don’t actually want for fear that you won’t get another? Do you apply for jobs at all? Or do you save up to try to travel the world instead?
The fact that I get a choice with what to do with my life is lucky, and I know that. But sometimes it seems as if degrees, proficiencies in various software products or our LSAT score challenge us for what we want, and we end up feeling like we just aren’t good enough. Our potential is tested. It would be so easy to settle or to stop trying.
But the moral of my rant is this: I’m going to stop letting all of these things scare me, and I encourage you to do the same.
There’s always going to be something that panics us into thinking we aren’t good enough, not qualified enough, not ready. I encourage you to apply, and apply yourself, anyway, to know that you’re not only good enough, but great.
Don’t settle for something you aren’t 100 percent set on.
Give yourself as many options as you can, but only choose the very best ones.
Via: Hyperbole and a Half
One of my favorite quotes by Deepak Chopra sums up this idea perfectly. “Always go with your passions, never ask yourself if it’s realistic or not.”
Listen to Deepak and take the plunge. You’ll be happier when you do.
Feature photo courtesy of: The Huffington Post
