Since the earliest days of our educational careers, we have been asked what we want to be when we grow up. Our dream jobs start out as "police officer" or "fireman," or, like my nephew, they start with more creative jobs like "racecar driver" or "singer."
As we grow older, those broad answers dwindle down to very specific ones. We learn what we're good at and what subjects we hate (I'm looking at you, history). By the time we reach our senior year of high school, we are all supposed to know what exact job we want to have for the rest of our lives.
I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do in my life from the moment I picked up a camera for the first time. My best friend and I would go around our neighborhood for hours filming our own version of "iCarly" and producing our own silly short films. In high school, I started at a CTE school where I received hands-on learning for this career of video work I wanted to go into.By sophomore year of high school, I thought I had my entire college career planned out.
I had my dream college chosen, my academic calendar for that school planned, and even had an internship opportunity picked out with a "How-To" guide in terms of applications. I was ready for what I thought was going to be my future.
Little did innocent me know that God had other plans for my future.
As I entered college, I took a creative writing class. I had no interest in this class besides the fact that it fulfilled a requirement for my college. By the end of the semester, I had found a new love and skill of mine.
This past school year, I began writing articles for this awesome website that you are on right now! I discovered a love for something I never knew I had a love for.
As excited as I was to start back into my video/film journey, it felt as if something was missing when I sat down in classes for my major.
As we began filming short films, there was none of that joy in what I was doing as I had felt before. No matter how many times I tried to get myself amped up to film, something I once did every day, I couldn't feel the same feeling I once had. There was a part of me that felt as if I didn't fit in with those I had classes with. There was this gut feeling in me that video work just wasn't for me.
I mentioned the idea of switching majors to my parents and they were fairly, if not fully, on board with the decision. \
Do I know exactly what I want to do? No, but that is totally fine.
I am nearly 20 years old and still have no clue what I want to do with my life.
Some may view this as a problem, but I view this as a perfect opportunity for trial and error. At what other point in my life will I have the ability to do a complete turn-around, other than during a mid-life crisis?
This is the perfect time to stop, think, and figure out what you want to do with your life before we are all hit with the reality of adulthood, if we haven't already.
It's okay to have no idea what you want to do with your life at 20. Truth is, even adults don't know what they want to do with their lives. It's not something we will know immediately. It's all about trial and error, and now is the perfect time to do it.
