Friends. They want what is best for you. However, sometimes that can be misconstrued as to how they think they want you to live. They have their opinions on how you should live your life. How you should act. What you should wear. Who you should talk to. How you should go about a relationship. They mean well, but sometimes it can be overbearing. They are still your best friend and they still love you, but they may need to take a step back.
Family. They want what is best for you. However, sometimes what they want and what you want are two entirely separate things. They want you to go to school, get a good job, marry and start a family. The normal societal standard for life. But, maybe that is not what you want. Maybe you have this dream of being on Broadway one day. Maybe it is a 1 in a million chance, but you still want it. Although, they will not support it because of the high risk of failure. They still love you, but they only love a more reasonable version of yourself.
Society. It wants you to conform to its standards. Go to college, get a job, start a family, work an 8 hour shift, pop out two or three kids, save money in a 401K, retire, move to Florida, die. You have to fit the social norm in order to be considered a part of society. Thinking outside of the box is frowned upon. Weird. Abnormal. A freak. That is what you have become once you realize that you have the capability to think for yourself.
You are you. You are who you want to be. You are what you want to be. You are whoever you want to be. If you want to test your luck with Broadway, then you might just be the next Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton: The Musical. Look it up. You will love it.) Do it. If you do not feel as though becoming a doctor is meant for you, and want to become a writer. Then, do it. If you would rather pursue a doctorate in Spanish in go into teaching because that is your passion. Do it. You do not need to make six figures in order to be happy.
Happiness is not defined by a paycheck. Happiness is not defined by society's standards for being "successful". You may be rich, but are you happy? Success is defined by how happy you are with your life. It is defined by how you choose to live your life. Live your life to the fullest. Travel the world. Fall in love. Eat a lot. Sing to the top of your lungs. Be true to yourself. Do not let anyone define you.
