Finding my path

Finding a direction for my life has been the greatest challenge for me. To be honest, I was always on someone else's path until I was 22. And whenever I came to a fork in the road, I relied on others to point me in the "right" direction because I had no idea where I was going and was simply roaming mindlessly. For years, I was okay with that because I always saw the next goalpost as my solution to happiness. I'll be happy when I start college. I'll be happy once I start working. If I, then that... and happiness never arrived because it was always the next goalpost, and I finally broke when I realized that the “work goalpost” wasn't all that it was cracked up to be, and I longed for a reason to just feel something again.

I decided to commit an entire year to doing everything I ever wanted to do: travel, speak, and create art. I wanted to embark on my own struggle, not one that others were hurling at me. And let me tell you, it's a gnarly fight, but I've never been more content just figuring things out, knowing that this whole adventure will lead me somewhere beyond the rainbow that would be worth all the blood, sweat, and tears. It hasn’t been an easy journey, but I am proud of the person I’ve become, and I’m excited about the surprises ahead.

My thoughts on this topic?

Finding a set path is not easy, which is why many people choose to follow the road well traveled because others can provide more feedback on what has been proven to "work" and what hasn't. While this requires less effort and is less scary, it does not always translate 100% to fulfillment. The most significant fork in my road and the most difficult one was where I had to pick between unease and fulfillment against safety and security. While there is no such thing as right or wrong in life, I will always be the biggest proponent of "just take the first step and figure it out along the way." Take the chance on your dreams, and you will never have to look back on your life and wonder what if :)

Author: Leslie Lung