"What do you want to be when you grow up?" This was one of the first questions I ever remember being asked. When I was around four, I wanted to work at McDonald's or be a pop superstar. As I got a little older, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. Even though the question of what to be when I got older was always around, I never took it seriously or saw it as a big deal.
In high school, I thought about applying to colleges and knew that was the next logical step. My life prior to college had just been about getting good grades, volunteering and not worrying about the full implications of the future. Once I got to college, all of that changed. The future was no longer some distant concept. All of a sudden, I had to decide the majors I wanted, the internships I was interested in and clubs that would be beneficial to propel my own success further. I went from having a lot of time to figure everything out, to having no time at all.
These days, I do know what I want to do with my life. I've decided on two majors that I'm incredibly passionate about and I know what I'm meant to do. To be honest, it's quite scary.
Recently, I've started volunteering at the art museum in my area. Initially, I decided to get involved at the museum because it's related to my major and it seemed like something worthwhile to pursue. However, after my first day at the museum, I knew it was what I was meant to do. I got to spend the afternoon around pieces made my local artists and I think I now truly understand what it means to be inspired. I've honestly never been so passionate about something and it really scares me. The line of work I want to go into requires a lot of hard work, dedication and ambition. The jobs are few and far between and there can be cutthroat competition. I know that if I want to wind up in the world of museum curation, it's going to take all that I've got.
Being scared is good. Without fear, we wouldn't be able to accomplish things we've never been able to do before. Fear is a good thing, because it means a breakthrough is coming soon. Fear enables us to keep pushing, keep moving and keep trying. We reach for the things that we truly want and fear motivates us to do so. The future is meant to be scary, because it's where the true rewards lie.
Following your dreams is never easy, but nothing worthwhile comes to us without struggles. So, I challenge you today to think about the future. If something scares you, take that as a positive sign. Once you embrace the fear and allow it to motivate you, you'll truly be able to accomplish what you're meant for.
