"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do."
~ Steve Jobs
There’s an old saying about following in your family’s footsteps. It’s a beautiful sentiment - honoring tradition, carrying on a legacy, and all that jazz. But, sometimes, a farmer’s daughter simply should ๐ก๐ข๐ง be a farmer. Take me, for instance. My dad is an accomplished farmer, coming from a long line of insanely impressive farmers. I could have easily…well…maybe not “easily”…followed that path, but I didn’t. I chose a different road, and let me tell you, it’s been an incredible journey.
Now, speaking of farming, let’s talk about my latest attempt at it. I decided to grow potatoes in my garden this year. I was optimistic, hopeful even, expecting to pull up a bounty of spuds that would make my ancestors proud. But what did I find when I dug into the soil? About two dozen of the ๐จ๐ข๐๐ก๐ก๐๐จ๐ฉ potatoes you’ve ever seen. And when I say small, I mean smaller than a dime - imagine trying to serve those up at Thanksgiving!
But you know what? I’m okay with it. I followed my own path, and while I feel like I’m constantly calling audibles and rewriting my story, I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve accomplished, where I’ve been, and how I’ve grown. I love my story because ๐ ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง. Has it always been easy? Not a chance. But easy just isn’t my style. I live for a good challenge and the satisfaction of overcoming it.
So, why am I telling you this? Because it’s important to be your own person and follow your own path. Whether or not you feel any parental pressure, it’s crucial to follow ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ dreams because, at the end of the day, ๐๐ผ๐ are the one who has to live your life.
This weekend, my daughter mentioned she was told she "has to go to college." And let me tell you, that got under my skin. Now, don’t get me wrong - I’m all for education! I got my MBA in Marketing after figuring out, or so I thought, what I wanted to do with my professional life. However, that came after a lot of starts, stops, and pivots. I eventually made a massive career change anyway!
๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ด๐ต๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐ด๐ผ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ผ. There are so many paths to success, and college is just one of them. The trades, for example, pay well and are in desperate need of skilled people. What I want more than anything is for her to spend her time wisely (because we don’t get a lot of it) and to do what makes her happy. I want her to follow the path that pleases her, and from there, she will find success.
There are countless stories of people who took different paths and found their way to incredible success. Steve Jobs dropped out of college and went on to change the world. Richard Branson never even finished high school, yet he built a business empire. The point is, there isn’t just one way to do life. ๐๐’๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฝ๐; ๐ถ๐’๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ป.
I’m not entirely sure why this bothered me enough to write about it, but I’ve lost sleep over my daughter feeling obligated to follow a path someone else laid out for her. It’s her life, and she deserves the freedom to choose her own adventure. ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐.
Let’s encourage the people in our lives to explore their options, take risks, and forge their own paths. After all, the best stories are the ones that haven’t yet been written.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐? Are you following a path that feels right for you, or are you still figuring your sh*t out? I’d love to hear your thoughts. What does it really mean to live life on your terms.
