Where to Go

In my experience doing the unexpected has always lead me to the path I needed. These days there is so much pressure on teenagers to know what they want out of life. Adults expect 16-17 year olds to have the knowledge and experience to decide upon themselves the career they will have for the rest of their life's. Even though they are deemed "too young" to decide on the way the government is run, sign their name of a lease or leave the country without parental permission. But making the most important life decision is thrust upon them and those that haven't a clue are shunned and seen as "not enough". Like many, I loathed the idea that I would some day wake up to a job a resented. I hated the idea that I would be working in a job that drained me. When I left school it seemed like I had the world at my finger tips. I had just graduated and university was staring me down. I thought I had to do what was deemed right by those around me. I never wanted to disappoint those that thought so highly of me. For academia when in school is seen as the height of intelligence and intellect. But when you leave school everything is left there. No one in the real world cares how you did in school. No one wants to know how well you did in that one assignment you thought would dictate your choices in life. And no one wants to hear what you did your Research Project on. What I'm saying is, no matter how important you think the last few years of school are, they don't matter in the real world. When you leave school all you did stays in those rooms. What I thought I wanted and what I needed however, were very different however. I thought I needed structure in my life and academic discipline. However, leaving university and giving the academy a raincheck was the best decision I had ever made. Some were disappointed and some wary of what that meant for my future, because university is everything apparently. Even thought my time in the world hasn't been that long, my time stressing about what my future would look like has taught me that even though the future is important it doesn't matter if you have to disappointment a few people to be happy. What I'm trying to say is, if you are coming up to graduation, have just left school or are like me and years after school are still confused in what career you will end up in, don't put too much pressure on yourself to know right away. There will always be those people that tell you what they think you should be doing. Just remember that you are young, the important decisions don't need to be made yet. Live your life and live it well. For I never want to look back on my life and be disappointed that I didn't do something or missed an opportunity. The world works in mysterious ways and you will end up in the place your are meant too. Live your life so 80 year old you is proud of you. Stand up to those that try and dictate how you're life should be led. Say no to what you don't want and fight for what you want. Be proud of your life. Only you and you alone can know what you want your life to look like. So you love travel and want to explore the world? Buy the tickets You want to become a doctor? Study hard and I'll see you happily when I'm sick. You love drawing and poetry? Pour yourself onto that paper and breathe through those words. I see so many teenagers stressing about where their lives are going and if they're making the right decision. The thing is there isn't a 'right' decision. Only you can know what makes you happy. If you're happy, nothing else should matter. Never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. You are the boss in your story, write it the way you want. So when you read it when you're old and grey you laugh and cry in the right spots. But most of all smile and are proud of your life and how you got there.