I’m a senior in high school, and there’s more pressure involved in the “Final Year” than I could have ever imagined. I’ve got to apply to colleges, obtain an ACT score I am satisfied with, run an organization, stay active in all my extra curriculars, represent an entire district, run my photography business, write weekly for the Odyssey, work every day after school for my dad, maintain my GPA, and all the while, enjoy senior year. Even in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, the one thing that seems to knock me on my butt every single time comes down to one simple, pesky question: “What are you going to do?”

I want to create, whether it’s writing, taking pictures, editing or publishing. I’ve thought, “Well, maybe I could work my way up to be an Editor in Chief for some top-notch magazine publication, like Vogue. (Crazy I know, but it’s all about shooting for the stars, right?) On the other hand, maybe I could be a fashion/commercial photographer for the big name brands. To tie it all together, maybe I could publish my own lifestyle magazine.”

Notice anything similar about all of those professions? Yup, you guessed it: money, or lack thereof. How lucky am I to be so gifted and capable of being in the professions that don’t generate a significant salary? Just the other day, upon telling someone I wanted to be a writer, another writer herself told me, “Oh, please don’t do that. You will be miserable and won’t make a dime.” On the contrary, I’ve had others tell me, “Do what makes you happy. Those that work their tails off at a job they loathe often are the unhappy ones who wish they were somewhere else.” So it all comes down to one thing, is it more important for me to make a living or make a life?

After hours and hours of sitting around wondering which option is more beneficial, I realized that if money is the one thing the quality of my life depends on, the other blessings in life that I’ve dreamed of having since I was a little girl soon would fade into the background, like a strong marriage or a life completely rooted in Christ. Should I jump on society’s money-making train or should I walk the less-traveled path? I’ve found that the most important aspect of it all is that making a living is not the same as creating a life worth living, that my happiness is so much more important than the amount of zeros presented on a check. While I understand that happiness doesn’t pay the bills, I’d rather be full of joy than miserable doing so.

With that, here’s to creating.