The difficulties that come with choosing a future.

I have always set high standards for myself and the people around me seem to expect the same (unfortunately) but I’ve noticed that it has taken a toll on my mental well-being. I do well when I put in the effort and always set high goals- some are rather unachievable and others are not as significant.

Although I’ve never admitted to it outright, I often feel pressured to be the best. As a result, I tend to put a lot of thought into what I wish to do in the future.

Even though I do enjoy writing and literature, I do not see myself pursuing that path full-time. Furthermore, everyone around me seems to have their own preconceptions on what I want to do.

“You should become a science student, it would be a waste for you to go into art.”*

The aforementioned is something I hear rather often and every now and then I feel the desire to pursue a career in art just to spite them.

You see, I have absolutely no idea what I plan on doing in the future. I have infinite choices and a scary number of results that may be less than satisfactory. I may either find my “ikigai” and live a fruitful life, or I may be trapped in a self-created hell and that’s scary. Very scary.

However, I have come to terms with what the future may hold, and as daunting as it may prove to be, I await it with open arms. All I hope for is that every mistake, every failure, every faux pas, will be accompanied with success, victory, and triumph.

*The sentence in question exhibits our disregard for the arts and high regard for the sciences. I will be getting into my thoughts on this social phenomenon in a later article.