Flash back to senior year of high school. Everyone is deciding what they want to do after high school ends. Some did not have any clue as to what they were doing. Others had everything figured out; they knew what college they were attending, what major they wanted, and where they planned to work.
I was one of those people who had everything figured out. I was going to major in mathematics education with a minor in theater arts. After college, I was going to work at a some high school and be the theater director. However, sometimes our plans change -- drastically.
After I was accepted to my college, I decided to take a tour of the department of my major. After only about five minutes talking with the head of the math department, everything changed and not for the better.
I no longer wanted to major in math education because I knew it wasn't for me. I felt sick because all of my dreams and plans were crashing down around me. I did not have any idea as to what I was going to major in now.
I sat down with my cousin and told her everything. I was having a panic attack at the thought of not having my life figured out anymore. I decided to look through my college's list of majors and see if anything was of interest to me. There was only one major on the entire list that remotely interested me: public relations and advertising.
At the time, my major was called "public relations and advertising." It was later renamed to "strategic communication." I had a small idea of what PR and advertising was, but I looked it up to get more information. I decided I wanted to focus more on the advertising side of my major. I decided right there that I was going to major in public relations and advertising and focus on the advertising aspect.
Some people would consider this a hasty and not-very-thought-out decision. I agree with all of that. However, I can honestly say that I know I made the right choice. I love all of the classes I have taken, and I enjoy the different opportunities in advertising that I have been a part of. I can't wait to see where my career in advertising takes me next.
My message here is that sometimes things don't go as we plan. Not everything is as clear cut as we make it out to be. We focus so much on making sure that everything is staying on our path that we don't leave room for these bumps and twists in the road. If I wouldn't have been knocked off my path, I wouldn't have discovered where my true passion is.
So don't worry if you don't have everything figured. Also, don't think you won't have anything to worry about if you think you have your path set. Sometimes life throws us some major curve balls. However, if you don't take a chance and swing at them, you might miss the best opportunities of your life.
