CHOICES
If there is one thing we all know, it is that life is about choices. And as easy as a choice seems, it usually is one of the hardest things to do. As young people we have so many things going on in our lives, we’ve got school and what career path we need to take; then we have our friendships – which sometimes is a struggle when we have to decide that we have to let go of some of them; there are also the other relationships we have and whether they seem worth it or not; and to top it all off we have our parents and church. So when we are in this sea of uncertainty what do we do? For the next few weeks I’ll touch on each of the choice areas that I previously mentioned. But today I’ll start with the first – school and the paths we should take.
One thing I have come to realize is that you need to love what you do if you are going to truly succeed in it. Some of us dislike school and are pretty much repulsed at the very thought of having to go to the institutions every day. But the thing is, sometimes there are choices we have to make which we don’t want to make because it will be for our own benefit in the long run. Don’t misunderstand me, studying is not for everyone, however, going through primary and secondary education are steps you need to climb before you can decide where your true passion is (which is not sitting at home doing nothing). So since it’s a choice which you basically have to choose, you might as well do it to the best of your ability.
For some of us studying is second nature, in that we are really good at it. So we decide ‘I’ll do sciences to be a doctor or scientist. Or maybe I’ll be a lawyer or accountant, an architect or graphic designer”. But the question remains why do we want to be these things? Is it because society tells us that these are “good professions if you want to make money” or is it because “we love and have a passion for the particular area?” That’s a question we all need to ask ourselves. Then we have the other extremity where we decide to choose these professions or any other one, to be in opposition to what is expected of us.
The thing is, throughout our education our passion towards something may change, and that’s quite alright. However, we all need to know where we believe or have knowledge of, where we are supposed to be. By that I mean whether or not we change studying / career paths a number of times, we should never not know where we should be at any given time. The secret to this whole thing is that if you don’t know what you should do or have no idea where you should be, then who are you? Are you nothing more than a ship drifting with the tides?
Some persons say, “I don’t need to go to school, look at all the persons who have made it without formal education’. Well that’s true, but why should you measure your development and how far you can go by the standards of other people? More so, may I dare remind you that the times are different? We live in a society where emphasis is placed on education, and that’s a reality. So, without saying much more than this, I’ll simply leave it by purporting that the time has come for us to wake up and stop finding excuses for not wanting an education. Everyone has education today, so to be candid, what makes you think that you can reach the top when you decide you’ve had enough of school? Understand what I’m saying, I’m not discrediting those who have succeeded without going to school, however I recognise that they are in the minority, the very small minority. And it’s just me, but in these cases I’d rather be in the majority than be in the minority.
Suffice it to say, I believe education and by extension knowledge is power. It’s more than just a means of upward social mobility. It’s about recognizing that we live in such a diverse society that we can’t be ignorant of things which go on. And yes it’s about, for the lack of a better phrase, survival of the fittest. In that in order to survive in this diverse and ever-changing society we need to have knowledge – we need education. Education opens the door for the true expression of ourselves; it opens the door to broaden the mind to more than our immediate surroundings. It is the key to success – however you determine success.