I came into college knowing exactly what I wanted to do. Major in journalism with a concentration in media law, a minor in political science, read a lot of LSAT books, join Mock Trial and be in any pre-law societies I could find.

But as time went on, I realized that I hated political science classes. And that I didn't really understand logic games or logical reasoning. That I would only be happy doing law in a big shot firm in the middle of New York City, and that I would be miserable doing it anywhere else.

I realized that I let the world talk me out of who I wanted to be because it was "difficult" or because I "wouldn't make any money." And I convinced myself that as long as I could make enough money, I would be happy. And I think I've realized that that's just not true.

So there was this one day a couple weeks ago when I just decided to be happy instead. I dropped my political science classes and changed my mind. Just like that.

You can do that, you know, even when the world says you can't.

I decided that I didn't care if I was writing in a stuffy newsroom all day. Or running towards a house fire that was my most intense story of the year. Because that's what I love doing and it makes me happy.

And sometimes, our decisions in life are just that simple.

Don't be a doctor unless you want to be. Or a lawyer. Or a politician. Or an engineer. Don't be those things because the world views them as more successful. Or more credible. Or more important.

Be them because you love doing it.

I had my life mapped out, but I refused to consider one thing: how happy I would be.

So no, majoring in journalism with a minor in art history, planning to be a news reporter isn't something the world would deem as hard work. Or as important as other things. And definitely not as successful.

But I want to know when we stopped teaching kids to be whatever they want to be. Actors. Writers. Artists. Musicians. Astronauts. Just because they are not as popular as businessmen or lawyers. I want to know when we found it appropriate to stop teaching our kids that anything is possible. I want to know when we found it OK to start teaching them how to fit into a certain mold. Or that money means happiness or power.

That things like painting or creating. Discovering. Doing something you're passionate about and that you're good at, just isn't enough if it doesn't fit in with what's acceptable.

We deem people as dreamers or as unrealistic. We shoot them down before they ever even get a chance.

So it's not enough to tell your first graders that they can be whatever they want. That nothing's stopping them. Tell yourself that. Or your college students. Or your kids that are grown up and out of the house.

Don't limit people. Don't tell them that they can't be whoever they want to be. Don't raise children with the mindset that they can accomplish anything and then take it away when it comes to implementing it.

So I sold my LSAT books and I dropped my plan. Because after I laid it all out, I forgot that I had forgotten what it meant to love what I was doing.

I forgot who I was and what I was passionate about, because I was taught that that isn't acceptable anymore. And Forbes told me that journalism was dying. And people rolled their eyes when I talked about art.

And I lost who I was.

And the longer we go with denying ourselves. Our passions. The longer we go with believing these lies. The less likely it is for us to ever find ourselves again.