by Erick GarciaImagine you and your friends are talking about what you all plan to do with your lives after you all have graduated from college. You all start talking about what kinds of careers you all want to have. One friend may say he or she wants to be a doctor, the other a police officer, and so on. Then it’s your turn to say what you want your future career to be, and you say you want to be a writer. All of a sudden the conversation comes to a screeching halt and everyone is looking at you in a way that makes you feel as if you did something wrong. Then the first thing you hear from one of your friends is “You won’t make any money doing that!” Maybe this is something you’ve heard before or is a variation of something you’ve heard before, or maybe this is your first time hearing this from someone. The question you’re probably asking yourself now is “Is that true, and if it is, how does it affect me and do I care?” The scenario you just read is something that I feel happens to a lot of young people when talking about their future careers, and this is a situation that is usually imposed on them by parents and by friends. If you’ve ever had this same conversation, depending on your career choice, the kinds of comments you might get from other people will be that “There’s no future in that” or “You’ll never make any money in that” and so on. In my opinion, people should have the freedom to decide on a career that makes them happy, even if it means going against the expectations of friends and family and even of society as a whole. But I can also admit that it does feel ugly when even those who are closest to you don't want to support your decisions or have little to no faith that you can be successful in a field that they consider to be pedestrian. Although I think it’s kind of funny that the careers that they consider pedestrian, such as writing, acting, playing music, and so on are the very same careers that produce that which they find so entertaining and are more than willing to spend their money on! In my experience, I have been lucky enough to have parents who want me to do what makes me happy. However, the best advice I have gotten is that if I’m going to do something that makes me happy but that isn’t so financially secure, it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan. Personally speaking, my dream is to be a musician, but because I know that the landscape of music business has dramatically changed over time, I know that I’m not going to be the next Paul McCartney overnight anytime soon. This is where the backup plan comes in. I’m currently pursuing a master’s degree in forensic psychology in college. I picked this as a backup plan not only because I know that it could provide me with financial stability in the future, but also because it’s also something that I truly love and could actually see myself doing in the event that my first choice doesn’t work out. It’s something I’m truly interested in and it’s something that is just as big a part of my life as music. Now I’d like to offer this same advice that my parents gave me to anyone reading this article. If you’ve decided on a career that makes you happy but isn’t so financially secure, have a backup plan, but make sure it’s a backup plan that you’re happy with, not just a backup plan that you feel you’re obligated to have. While some people do have a backup plan, they might settle for something that is expected of them by family and friends or something that may provide financial stability but not satisfaction. This is why I stress that a backup career must be something that makes you happy and not simply your safety net. Another piece of advice I’d like to offer is just as important as the first, and that is to stand your ground. Even if your friends and family don’t support you, even if others mock you for your career choices, even if no one believes you can make it and be successful, stand your ground. Be fearless, dare to defy expectations, but most of all, be yourself and pursue what makes you happy. Granted this is much easier said than done. Dayna, a good friend of mine, was talking to me about being a writer because it’s one of the many things she truly loves doing, but at the same time she showed some hesitation. I told her to go for it since it’s what she really wants, and in response, she told me something along the lines of “Would you rather make money or would you rather be happy?” My question would’ve been, “would you rather dare take the risk and know for sure whether it was worth it or not? Or would you rather take the safest route and prefer to live your life thinking about what could have been?” It always boils down to choices and the fact that only you have the power to decide. In a similar conversation, my fellow Zine writer and classmate Connor Gilligan told me he wants to be an archaeologist, but that a lot of his friends would rag on him because he wouldn’t make much money. He would tell me that even if that was true, he didn’t care because he’d be happy doing what he wanted to do, which is more important to him. He even went so far as to give me examples of famous people who lived a rags-to-riches career, such as J.K. Rowling and Chris Pratt. In his opinion, if they could achieve their dreams, why not him? And I absolutely agree. Never be afraid to pursue your dreams, even if everyone and everything is trying to convince you otherwise. However, not everything in life is a guaranteed success, so be prepared to struggle and be prepared to fail every now and then. But most importantly of all, have a backup plan that makes you happy. Work hard, enjoy yourself, and if you succeed, tell everyone who doubted you “I told you so!”
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