Live Life for You

Recently in one of my criminal justice courses I've been learning about the "American Dream" and what it is, why we feel we need to reach it, and what a bunch of bull it is (my words, not my professors). The American Dream is growing up, going to college, getting a good job, getting married, moving to the suburbs with a white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and a dog. Well, it's 2016 and I think we need a new American Dream.

You get one short life to live and the only person you should be making happy is yourself. In high school, it is stressed by every teacher that you need to go to college. There is pressure put on high school students to get good grades so you get into a good college. But what about the people who don't want to continue their education? Should they feel bad about themselves because they don't want what everyone else supposedly wants? When I was in high school, I was in the National Honor Society, I played sports, I was in all honor and AP courses, I was expected to be "smart." When we would get tests back to look over, I would never turn mine over to see the grade. My friends made fun of me, but I was terrified of seeing my grades. I had this expectation that I was always getting good grades and I would do well on tests so I wouldn't turn those tests around to look because I didn't want to disappoint if I didn't do well. If I didn't see the grade, was it really there?

I didn't start looking at colleges until my senior year. I had absolutely no interest. I knew I had to go to college, but I didn't necessarily know if I wanted to. It wasn't a priority to me, but it was a priority to everyone else. I ended up going to a school I was miserable at. I thought maybe college isn't for me or maybe it's just this school that isn't for me. I transferred and although I am much happier at Temple than I was at Millersville, I don't know if I'm 100% happy. I don't have much time left so I would never not finish my degree (getting a degree is important), but sometimes I wonder if maybe I went right to working would I be more fulfilled? Would I be happier? I'll never get to know because of the pressures of going to college and getting a good job. You go to college at 18. You are a baby! 18 is so young and you're supposed to have your life figured out by then. That is just crazy. They say your brain isn't fully developed till what, like 25?! That is a good 7 years away when you're 18 and supposed to be decided your WHOLE future.

I can't believe I'm about to reference my brother, but he's a good example of this. I know he doesn't read my blog posts, so don't tell him I said any of this. He went against the norm. He knew college wasn't for him, so he didn't let anyone talk him into going. People would continue telling him he had to go, why wasn't he going away to school like everyone else, the only way he'll get anywhere is if he goes to school. Well, working was the way he went and honestly, if he went to college, he would be absolutely miserable. He is an inspiration to me in this aspect. Instead of listening to everyone telling him to go to school or feeling pressured because some of his friends were going away to college, he went with his gut and decided what he wanted to do with his life. He took control of what he wanted and nothing else influenced that.

This is your life you're living, nobody else's and guess what. Life is real freakin short. You get one life to get it right, that's it. It's up to you to make the best of it. I'm almost through 4 years of college and the one big life lesson I learned is to live for YOU. Not math or science or any of that, I learned that you need to make YOURSELF happy. Make decisions that make you happy. Travel if you want, see the world, spend time with your family, open up a pizza shop. Do something crazy, because if you go through life not doing what you want the only person left unhappy and unsatisfied is you. I wish I could've taken this advice four years ago, but I went with the norm. Don't get me wrong. Temple is the absolute best school for me and there is no other college I would rather be at. I'm waking up every day, going to my classes, and trying to get good grades, but maybe there was a different route I could've taken. Maybe something else would've made me happier? Who knows?

All I know now is you have to go with your gut and trust how you feel. The only person who truly knows how you're feeling, is you so stop listening to everyone else and do things that make YOU happy.

If today was your last day on earth, would you be happy with the way you've been living?

~A