I think it's safe to say that everyone grows up being told how to live his life the same way. We are told to go to college, get a steady, well-paying job when we graduate, get married, raise children in a nice house and drive a nice car. This is the American Dream — to rise from the bottom to the top, to be financially secure, and to have all of these wonderful possessions. Many students continue to chase the American Dream today. I do not.

If I had a quarter for every time someone told me while I was growing up that I should be an engineer... I would have a lot of quarters. You know, like an entire sandwich bag full, and engineer was only the beginning! Other occupations as well — teacher and even orthodontist — were brought to my attention. For a while, I wanted these things too. As a child I could say that it was my dream to be a preschool teacher, but even that was often turned down too. No, you should be an engineer. It would be such a waste of that big brain of yours! (Just a quick note, I am not hating on engineers. I love engineers, and we need them. I come from a family of engineers, and a lot of my friends are studying engineering. I'm just saying this path of life is not for me.)

Now, I would be lying if I said that I didn't have a successful high school career academically. I graduated in the top 10% of my class with straight A's and some college credit hours. I don't say these things to brag. Only to make a point. According to the American Dream, it is ludicrous that I'm not going to a major state university for engineering. I have the brain to be an engineer, and I know it, but why should I waste my time doing something I don't even like? Instead, I'll pursue my passion of storytelling and take my "big brain" to Bible college and cinematography school.

A lot of people in today's society see their dreams as something out of reach. Pursuing dreams and passions is just "too hard" nowadays. Often times they settle for the life of the American Dream, wondering why they continue to strive for happiness. I have all of these things, they might think. I have a well-paying job, a wonderful family, a comfortable home, and a nice car. Why am I not happy?

This mindset can often come because one has let go of his passions in order to pursue the comfortable life. God gave each of us various talents so that we may impact the world in our own unique way. Depending on what your passion is, making sacrifices is necessary. For example, in my journey of abandoning the American Dream, I left my comfortable home of eleven years as well as all my friends in Northern Kentucky in order to receive the education I needed to pursue my passion.

Your passion might be to become a doctor, but you think that going through medical school is too extensive. In addition to that, what if you don't get married until you're almost thirty? Maybe your passion is to become an engineer, but calculus! Yuck! Who wants to do all of that math? What about an artist? Or a musician? Isn't it better to have money and a house than struggle to find an income? I suppose the answers to these questions depend on your perspective, but we only have one life, and we should spend it doing what we love -- and use this thing you love in order to make the world a better place.

YouTuber and aspiring director, Olan Rogers, once said, "There will be people who say you can't make a living out of something you love to do. But are you really living by not doing it?" God gave us each different talents and passions. For me, it's writing and storytelling. For you, it could be anything from painting to becoming a medical surgeon. Today, I encourage you to chase after your dream and make the most of your life. Once you've realized it for yourself, you can begin to reach out to others and be a light in this dark world. Stop making excuses. Never settle. It's always a beautiful day to reach out and change someone's life.