You are riding in a boat. Captain of your own ship, with a clear destination in mind. There you are, smooth sailing when suddenly you come across a neighboring ship. This neighboring ship deters you from your path and convinces you to venture off towards their final destination, causing you to abandon the paradise you had once dreamed of encountering.

What a sad tale, however, this happens in a not too literal sense day by day. We are captains of our own ships, yet we often let ourselves be led astray by outside opinions. Whether it is something small, like what we are wearing that day, or if it is something quite larger, like our career, we all too often allow other people's thoughts play a large role in our decision making. No matter what it is, you need to follow your heart. At the end of the day, decisions are easy to make. They only become difficult when we deter from the inevitable truth that our heart attempts to tell us. If something feels wrong, don't do it. If something feels right, do it. Don't let anyone tell you what you should and should not do. The only person who truly knows what you want is Y-O-U.

I don't have regrets; however, I do wish that in the past I had not allowed myself to be swayed by other people's opinions as much. When it comes to the path that you choose to take, do not get sidetracked by the neighboring boat. Their path may seem tempting. Their final destination may seem clearer cut, or more pristine. However, that is their destination and not yours. You will never know what their final destination looks like, and that is the wonder of life. We all get to choose our own path for us and us alone. At the end of the day, you know where you want your boat to go. Deep, deep down inside, you have that paradise in mind. And you can get there. It is within reach. But you will never arrive if you do not continue to stay strong and venture down your path, even if that means that you are alone.

Next time someone tries to tell you what to do with your life, don't listen. They don't know if you should be a chemical engineer because art is "too hard" to make a living out of. They don't know if you should stay in your day job. They don't know if you should move to the city. They don't know anything about you. You wouldn't let a stranger come into your home and tell you how to live your day, would you? So why do we continuously allow strangers to tell us how to live our entire lives?

My final destination is different from yours, and your final destination is different from mine, and this fact is so incredible and beautiful. I wish you the best of luck in your voyage, Captain.