I Believe in Being You

Most countries are not blessed like ours. Some people are not allowed to be whatever they want to be when they grow up. In America we have the right to be who we want. So why not take that right and run with it? I believe that people should choose their own paths and not the paths that others would want them to choose.

We have all heard the stories of the parents who want so badly for their children to be lawyers or doctors that the children feel like they have to be what their parents desire. After they do what their parents wish for them, are the children happy? Sometimes they are happy for the path their parents had chosen for them, but most of the time no. Some people are so focused on pleasing their parents and giving them what they want that they lose sight of their own dreams, or they never had a chance to have a dream of their own.

Since I was a little girl, my parents have always encouraged me to do what makes me happy. I have wanted to be everything from an astronaut to a veterinarian and no matter what career I end up choosing, my parents will be proud because it will be doing something I enjoy. I could not imagine my parents pressuring me my whole life to be something I do not want, like a teacher, because I do not have a teaching bone in my body. The only thing I really feel any pressure about is playing softball. When I was younger, softball was something that was always on my mind by choice; now it is forced into my head. Once I made the decision in middle school that I wanted to get really serious about the sport, it turned more into a job rather than something enjoyable. When I made it up to high school, I did not have the choice to participate or not anymore. My dad would not allow me to quit. We have had a couple of arguments about me playing or not. At times it gets really stressful with all the pressure, but it pays off. Overall, I’m glad I made the choice to play a serious sport because it is an awesome experience.

People should choose their own paths and make their own happiness. We know ourselves better than anyone else. We should know what makes us happy. Stories are always told about how people hate their jobs and wish they would have done something different. Too many people choose the jobs that pay the best or seem cool instead of choosing something that would match them perfectly. We should never choose the easy way out or what someone else would want. One of my best friends grew up pressured to be a nurse. Her mother is a nurse, so her mother has pressured her to become one as well. She acts like it is what she wants to do, but I can tell it doesn’t make her happy one bit. My friend has already received an internship at a local hospital and she already dreads going to work. I feel like her job will slow her down if she does not do something she would really enjoy doing.

We live in a country with endless amounts of opportunities. We also live in a free country unlike others. So we should realize what we have and take advantage of it. Unlike others we have the option to choose any fate we want. We should be ourselves and be who we want to be. I believe in choosing our own paths because life is so much easier when you’re happy.