This is a response to A Good Life Isn't About The Material Things, It's About Appreciating What You Have.
Being able to love the life that you have is difficult for almost everyone. It might seem like most people enjoy the life that they currently have, but the truth is they most likely don’t and they want to do more with their life.
The majority of the population dream about the life that could have been. A life that consists of their dream occupation, house, traveling, and anything else they wish they had or could do.
One thing I constantly hear are people saying they chose the wrong occupation. Ever since we were at the age to start considering career options, we were each told to choose a job that is practical and that would make us the most money. With this knowledge, the majority of individuals were guilt-tripped into the wrong occupation, preventing them from what they actually wanted to.
Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with wanting to become a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher— jobs that are considered realistic, it's just the matter of being able to love what you do for the rest of your life.
My one friend is currently in college studying to become a veterinarian. Ever since she was little that is the one thing that she knew she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Even though to some people that isn’t a dream career, that is her dream career. Her passion for animals led her to do this and she is so excited when she can finally become one.
As for me, I always wanted to make a difference in the world when I was little. As someone who hates how hurtful society can be to many, I wanted to be able to do something to change it, whether it was through my writing, social media, or even just through random acts of kindness.
I am also in college and I am majoring in Journalism and Media Studies. When people ask me what my major is and I respond, they usually give me questionable looks. Some would say that there aren’t many opportunities where I would make enough money to support myself in the future, or that my major is a dying industry. The looks and comments about what I wanted to do with my future career made me doubt myself a lot. But I got to thinking that the career that I wanted to go after wasn’t theirs to judge. I am the one who is going to school for it, I am the one who is interested in it, and I am the one who will end up doing what I am passionate about.
The ideas that are considered realistic are the things constructed by society. People are looked down upon for doing the things that make them the happiest. Most people don’t even have jobs— and that is okay! Those individuals get to travel around the world if they choose to, have more time with their children if they have any, and so much more.
As we all got older, phrases like “follow your dreams” turned into “make sure you get a good job”, crushing the inner child in all of us. Why can’t we still follow the dreams we had when we were younger? What is really stopping us from doing it for real? It shouldn’t be the people who tell us not to do it or society itself. There shouldn't be anyone holding you back from what you find passionate about! I think we owe it to our younger selves to choose to do what we love instead of what we are “supposed” to do; live a life that you truly love.
