Why is it, that as children, we are able to think of a million things that we would want to be when we grow up, but as adolescents and young adults, we haven't got a clue?
Seriously. As a kid, what didn't I want to be? A paleontologist, an astronaut, a scientist, a teacher, a dinosaur, a writer, a singer... Those are all things that at one point or another in my childhood, I wanted to be. And yes, I did mean to put dinosaur in there. I was a strange child, just accept it...
As I grew older, that list began to shrink, and I wasn't so sure anymore about what I wanted to be. In high school, I thought, a psychologist? Maybe a teacher?
So I tried the whole psychology thing when I got to college. But, I quickly learned, that despite the fact that the human mind fascinated me, being a psychologist just wasn't in my cards.
I still liked dinosaurs and the idea of being a paleontologist, but from what people would say, I knew it was unrealistic. Getting a job in that field would be difficult and the pay would probably be insufficient.
I love everything about filmography. I thought for a while that I could be a director / film maker or a video editor... That was a 10 minute endeavor. I quickly snapped myself out of that one when I realized that not only was the schooling for that very competitive, but trying to make a career out of it would be next to impossible.
Then I had it. I always loved writing. Why not be a writer? Sure, it's a competitive field as well, but, it's also under the generic major of English, which, as far as I knew, you could do anything with. It was settled. I would major in English/Creative writing and become a writer or an editor and work in the publishing field.
And now, here I am, working in my medical non-profit... How fitting. I think that there are a lot of people who go to college and then, get jobs that have absolutely nothing to do with what they studied. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing. It's just that so many people get to college not knowing what they want to do with their lives, so they go through this stress filled time period of trying to figure out what they are going to do. And then, they just end up doing whatever comes their way.
But, I think that it works out for some people like that. Take me for example. One thing that has been a part of me from the time I was a small child, is that I have always been passionate about helping others. For example... At the ripe old age of 6, I chose to give my very first tooth fairy dollar to the Salvation Army Santa outside of Publix, so that a less fortunate child could have presents at Christmas. No one told me to do this. I simply wanted to. I remember so clearly, walking by, seeing the Santa ringing the bell, and asking my mom what he was doing. And she told me, "he's collecting money for children who don't normally get toys at Christmas so that they can." I pondered what she said for a moment, and then I told her, "well, then I want to give him my tooth fairy dollar, so that those children can get more presents."
And look at me now. By a happy accident, I am working for a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping others. Coincidence? Maybe. But it works. I think that if you have the right mind set, you'll eventually figure out what you want to do. You just have to know who you are. Which, I personally happen to know, can be a difficult thing. But, I do know that helping others is important to me. So, I'm happy with the career path that seems to have chosen me. I still want to write. I think I always will. But, it's nice to know, that for now, it can remain a hobby. And maybe it will turn into more than that one day. Who knows?
So, back to my original question. Why do kids have so many aspirations for what they want to be when they grow up? And why do young adults seem so lost when it comes to that question?
I think I know why... Kids are scared of things like, monsters, and the dark and strangers offering them candy. They have no fear of the world, because, they have no concept of what it's really like. To children it's as simple as, you grow up, you get a job, you get married, you have kids. They do not fear the unknown because they don't know how much is uncertain in life. As we grow into young adults, we begin to fear the unknown because we realize that nothing is a guarantee. We don't want to choose the wrong career path. We fear a life of tedious unhappiness. We fear lack of success. We fear that our dreams won't come true. We fear that we'll fail.
There are people out there who figure out what they want to do at a very young age and stick with it. Those people, in my opinion, are so brave and I really admire them. Dream chasers. They know their path, and they do not stray. To do this, takes confidence, courage, strength, will power, and passion. They don't let fear detour them. Amazing. To me, that is amazing.
I gave up on my love of film making because its so competitive and the chances of failure were high. I gave up on psychology because it was hard, and my chances of failure were high. I gave up on paleontology, because chances of failure were high, and even if I did succeed, I wouldn't make enough money to be successful. I gave up on being an astronaut because I learned it was dangerous. I gave up on being a dinosaur because I learned it was impossible, and I gave up on being a singer, well, because I don't have the voice. As we learn more about the complexity of things in life, we become more fearful, therefore, we have a harder time deciding what we want to do; what we want to be. It's all about fear. At least, that's what I think. At least, that's how it is for me.
But, the important thing to remember, is that as long as you know who you are, you can always find a path that suits you. And sometimes, the path will find you. You just have to keep your eyes open so that it doesn't pass you by. I know now, that whatever I end up doing in life, whether it's sticking with my current non-profit or not, what I do will be centered around helping others. That's what I'm passionate about.
Today, I am grateful for people who do what they can to make this wold a better place. For people who are brave enough to be true to themselves. And for people who follow their dreams. We should all aspire to be more like that.
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