Picking a path, an educational and career path, is difficult. There are so many things that we are taught by our society to take into consideration. In what career will I be the most successful, financially? What job will bring me the most prestige? The most status?
While mulling over all of these considerations, it is very easy to lose track of what ACTUALLY matters when choosing a path. And that is selecting an area to study that is interesting to you and that you enjoy, and that will eventually lead to getting you a job that you love. When I first started at UCLA, I had completely lost sight of this all-important consideration. So I spent weeks upon weeks wandering to my classes, bouncing between plans of medical school, psychology, and whatever else fit my mood. Nothing seemed to stick. So I just kept trying out new paths.
Then, one evening as I sat at my computer watching House, I heard a small pop that indicated a Facebook chat. Switching windows, I saw that my cousin Tristan had sent me a link. Not recognizing the website, I hesitated for a second, thinking it may have been a hack. But then Tristan followed up with a message, reassuring me that the video was amazing and inspiring and that I just had to stop and take the time to watch it. So I watched it. And I am so very glad that I did.
This video, featuring a short talk and then some video footage by surf photographer Mickey Smith, is an awesome illustration of how doing what you love is really the key to a fulfilling life and a life that you can be happy with. It inspired me to contemplate what I am most passionate about. What my mind was immediately drawn to was my high school marine biology class and the trips that I took with that class to Catalina Island and the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. Those experiences were life-changing for me because they solidified my love and fascination with nature, especially marine life. So with the messages from this video spinning around my head, and the memories of my amazing experiences at Catalina and OPI refreshed in my brain, I came to the conclusion that by studying marine biology, I would be giving myself the opportunity to spend my life studying and working with what I love. So that is what I decided to do.
I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did. And thank you Tristan and Mr. McBride.
While mulling over all of these considerations, it is very easy to lose track of what ACTUALLY matters when choosing a path. And that is selecting an area to study that is interesting to you and that you enjoy, and that will eventually lead to getting you a job that you love. When I first started at UCLA, I had completely lost sight of this all-important consideration. So I spent weeks upon weeks wandering to my classes, bouncing between plans of medical school, psychology, and whatever else fit my mood. Nothing seemed to stick. So I just kept trying out new paths.
Then, one evening as I sat at my computer watching House, I heard a small pop that indicated a Facebook chat. Switching windows, I saw that my cousin Tristan had sent me a link. Not recognizing the website, I hesitated for a second, thinking it may have been a hack. But then Tristan followed up with a message, reassuring me that the video was amazing and inspiring and that I just had to stop and take the time to watch it. So I watched it. And I am so very glad that I did.
This video, featuring a short talk and then some video footage by surf photographer Mickey Smith, is an awesome illustration of how doing what you love is really the key to a fulfilling life and a life that you can be happy with. It inspired me to contemplate what I am most passionate about. What my mind was immediately drawn to was my high school marine biology class and the trips that I took with that class to Catalina Island and the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. Those experiences were life-changing for me because they solidified my love and fascination with nature, especially marine life. So with the messages from this video spinning around my head, and the memories of my amazing experiences at Catalina and OPI refreshed in my brain, I came to the conclusion that by studying marine biology, I would be giving myself the opportunity to spend my life studying and working with what I love. So that is what I decided to do.
I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did. And thank you Tristan and Mr. McBride.
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