College is about more than just earning a degree; it’s about finding your passion. My dad always says, “You’ll never work a day in your life if you’re doing something you love.” So sure, it’s important to get good grades and graduate with that important piece of paper, but that paper needs to stand for something more. You only get one chance at life so why bother wasting your time on the job that you didn’t really want.
I love writing, but I was going to take the easy way out and settle for being a teacher when I knew deep down that I wanted to be an author. But then I stopped and thought to myself, there is no next time. I don’t get another chance or another life to be an author. I’ve got one and if I don’t use that one to risk it, I never will. So instead of going for the education degree, I took a deep breath and decided to pursue a creative writing degree.
You may not share the same dream I have. You may want to save lives, or sell stocks on Wall Street or see your clothing line on a runway or teach a classroom of children or even own your own business. Whatever it is that you’re passionate about; I implore you to go for it. Don’t let the fear of missing your target keep you from taking that shot. So what if you don’t make it? So what if it doesn’t work the first time? You’ve got to have enough nerve to keep trying and fight for what you want because the harsh reality is, no one is going to give it to you and nobody can tell you what to do.
You know what I think of when my dream comes to mind? I see myself wrapped up in a warm blanket, a French vanilla cappuccino on my right, and a laptop in front of me as a type furiously away at my next novel. It’s someone coming up to me and telling me that my book changed their life. It’s a little girl who loves to write being inspired by something I did to take a chance. And I’m not going to lie, it would be nice to go on the Ellen DeGeneres show.
I want to touch millions of people with something I wrote and impact their life in some way. That image is in my mind as I get up for class every early morning and remember exactly what I’m fighting for.
If you’re a college student and you’re currently settling, it’s not too late to change. Do what you want to do, not what you think will make you the most money. If you’re a college student and are doing what you want to do, keep going despite the challenges. If you’re not a college student at all and you’ve had a passion hidden in the shadows for a while now, turn on the light already. You owe it to yourself to do something you love, to do something that will make a change and to do something that makes you proud and genuinely happy to be alive.
You see, that’s what passion is. It drives you; it inspires you and gives you something to live for. You have to find it; you may have already found it in your church, family and friends…But who is to say that we can’t have it in our careers too? Why shouldn’t we find passion everywhere, everyday?
