When I was younger, I had a million and one ideas of what I wanted to do with my life. Those ideas ranged far and wide -- from an event planner to a mechanic, to a mailman and then to a plumber. I wanted to be a lot of different things, and I never stopped dreaming of all the different possibilities that my mind created.
Fast forward a decade or so later (I mean, who's really counting), I had reached the age where it was time to think about colleges and what I wanted to do with my life. At the time I settled on something international -- after all, my passion since I was a little girl was jumping on planes headed to different countries! I settled on international business, or something with marketing and advertising abroad. Then, when I voiced my decision, I was told by a few close people that I should become a teacher. Now I wasn't so mad about the suggestion, I was angrier at the reasoning behind the suggestion. It wasn't because I was good with kids, which I am; I have a few years of experience in teaching piano to younger students. The suggestion to become a teacher wasn't given to me because that was one of my many passions that I thought I wanted to pursue when I was a young child, either. No.
I was told to become a teacher because it's a "woman's job" and traveling all the time would become difficult if I wanted a husband and a family after college.
Never, ever feel like you can't have your dream job because it's "not a woman's job."
Now, I don't know about you, but international business and teaching are two-way different career paths. The fact that people would suggest teaching for my career path because of my gender, knowing what I really wanted to do with my life, was surprising, angering, and not to mention, sexist. For some reason, the idea of me traveling and owning my own business was really unsettling to everyone else around me. The thought of me not settling down after college and getting married was taboo for people in my culture.
So what I want YOU, my darling reader, to take from this little story of mine is to never let others blur your vision. Only you know what you want to do with your life and how you want to spend it. Frighten others with your courage, your passion, and your ambition. Show anyone who has ever told you to settle for less than what you ever wanted that you will not settle for less.
I've always dreamt big and encouraged others to dream big as well. I always will. Life is too short to settle for less than what you originally aim for. The moon has already been walked on, so reach further.
