Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved to write and draw. Ever since I could write, almost every feeling and thought I've had has been documented between the pages of various journals. My room is filled with stacks of notebooks and sketch books; my walls are full of paintings and posters of my favorite musicians.
Although my passion clearly lies within art, throughout high school, I simply would not admit that. I stopped writing every day when I realized how hard it would be to get a job in the field of journalism. When asked what my major would be in college, I would say, "I'm not sure what I'm interested in yet," or, "I'm undecided." But the truth was, I knew exactly what I wanted to do: I was just so afraid of pursuing a career that would more than likely lead me to fail, that I wasn't even willing to try. I applied to school under "undecided," and wrote off my passion as something I could always keep in my life as a hobby. My loved ones knew, though. My mom constantly reminded me of my above average grades in Creative Writing and English at school, my friends who had seen my work outside of school tried to convince me that I had talent, and my best friend even went as far as to give me a pamphlet on the best schools for Journalism majors. But I didn't listen. It wasn't until I was accepted into Boston University's College of General Studies Boston-London Program, and had an entire semester off, that I spent some time thinking about the future. Writing every single week for the Odyssey and getting positive feedback from my friends and family, and even complete strangers, completely changed my perspective on pursuing writing.
Personally, what changed my mind is: I cannot imagine a life without traveling the world, the humbling experience of understanding different cultures, the spark I feel in my heart when I am being inspired by beauty, and most importantly, changing lives through the written word. You only have one life - do you really want to spend it doing something you aren't utterly in love with? Do you really want to spend years studying something you barely care about? Can you stand the thought of dragging yourself out of bed every single day at six in the morning for anything other than your passion? I know I don't, can't, and simply won't. If your life is going to mean anything, you have to live it for yourself. The things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling; they are your way to contribute to society.
You were meant to be much more than you had ever imagined. So stop making excuses, stop hesitating, stop doubting yourself. Forget safety. Set fire to your fear and forget your apprehensions. Because making mistakes is inevitable, and you'll never know how it could've turned out if you don't take the chance. Reach for your goals; just get out and do it. You will be very, very glad that you did.
