We often feel pressured to act a certain way, say certain things, and to do certain things. Why? Because we think that is what we have to do in order to be successful and to be someone that people care about. We go through life simply going through the emotions because our life is so planned for us until we are in our 20's.
When you are young you are expected to play with certain toys and like certain things. As we grow older we are all supposed to go to school participate in sports, get good grade, volunteer, and have a job. You finally graduate high school and are now considered an adult, and you are expected to go to college. It is just how our society is. It tells kids that they can't be successful without it. Then you graduate college and you need to get married, buy a house and have kids.
That is all crap. There is no reason why we need to follow everyone else and what they are doing. We should be able to follow our own path without being criticized, and if you want to follow the traditional path, then you shouldn't be criticized for that either. Why can't we just let people do their own thing and let them be happy. You do not have to go to college to be successful, you just need to be happy. What works for me, isn't going to be what works for someone else. Some people spend hours studying in order to get good grades, some spend more time with friends because that is what is more important to them. Each have very good benefits, so why tell someone they are doing it wrong.
The truth is that there is not a way that we are supposed to live our life set in stone. Each moment we are presented with decisions that will impact us in the future. We may not think about how each second of the day transforms our lives, but each second counts. You may decide to try out a new club and meet your future spouse, you may decide to work at a restaurant and meet your best friend, but all that matters is that you are happy.
So, follow your own path. Do not conform yourself to what is considered the right way to live your life, because the truth is that it is the only thing that is completely yours, so you deserve to life it to the fullest. Take a semester off and go abroad, work after high school to find what you enjoy, go on a mission trip to help others, do whatever is going to make you happy. The last thing you want to do is be 80 years old and regretting how you lived your life. Who cares what others think of you, their opinions won't matter in the years to come. Most of the people you are worried about judging you, you will never see again.
"Sometimes people around you won't understand your journey. They don't need to, it's not for them." - Unknown
