It's a constant struggle. No matter what kind of career or major we choose, we as young adults are subject to constant criticism. They ask "Why that major?" or "Just what are you going to do with it?" or even the all-too-popular "But are you going to make money with that?" It's disheartening as well as discouraging as we move through our college careers when people surrounding us cannot simply support our choices.
But I'm here to tell you that you do not have to take such disparagement. You do not have to sit by and allow people to trump your dreams and discount your goals. Every single hope and aspiration you have are your own to cherish and work towards. In fact, it is the concern of no other person what you choose to do with your life. It is all your own to do as you please because, in the end, you are the one who has to live the life you've forged.
So stop justifying what career you've chosen. Stop trying to explain why you've chosen art or journalism or film as a major. Stop telling people what you plan to do with your life out of fear of judgment. Stop worrying so much about what people think. Stop allowing people to instill anxiety in you about the success of your future. It is not your duty to walk people through a step-by-step plan of your life when, most of the time, we don't even have it all figured out yet. It is not OK that you should have to feel like what you've chosen to spend your life doing is not good enough for the people around you. If it's good enough for you and it is what you desire to do, nothing else should matter. No justification other than "because I'm passionate about it" should be necessary.
Be proud of what you've chosen. From healthcare to teaching to liberal arts-- it is all valid.
Sure, I'm not going to sit here and tell you all jobs pay the same because the simple reality of it is that they don't. In spite of this pay grade difference, your success is all your own to work towards. Early in high school, I was told something that still sticks with me today: "If you are always passionate about what you do, success will surely follow." It is your drive and ambition that will set the path for you and your achievement. If you are passionate, you will work hard, and hard work rarely goes unnoticed. It is that hardwork that will push you to be the very best, not your specific career choice.
Too often I hear friends of mine or fellow classmates being ridiculed for their major or career choice. Truly, this should not be an issue, and it should not be up to us to justify exactly why we've chosen what we have chosen. It is our life. It is our career. It is what we, not anyone else, will be spending our lives doing. So, why exactly should we have to tell people what we want to do with our lives?
It all seems very ridiculous when discussed or said aloud. Your own happiness is not up for debate with other people. It is not the topic of discussion with relatives, friends, or classmates. It is not something to be taken lightly either. It is not a joke that you want to do that specific job for the rest of your life. Because, in the end, your life should be something you look back at and smile about, not something you regret. And if the choices you make are not made for you but rather for other's approval, your life will not be one of dignity and satisfaction but more so one of confinement and a lack of risk-taking.
So follow your heart. Follow your dreams. Take those risks. Go where you want to go, and do the things that you want. Justify no choice because, all-in-all, life is not something worth living by a predetermined plan or a "safe" career path. It is something worth indulging in and loving every step you take on that path.
