As a college student, I have found myself questioning my interests and passions more than I ever have before. I’m unsure if it is because of the overwhelming amount of interests I have or the overwhelming amount of options college brings. When we’re young and we have a limited idea of how many careers there are out there, it seems easier to decide which one you want to do. When I was young, it was interior design. Now that I have grown up, I have had the crippling fear of ‘not making it’ in the world and have learned the stereotype of the “starving artist,” which has led me to change my mind. Although improving maternal healthcare has sparked my interest in being a biology major to eventually become a physician’s assistant in the field of gynecology and obstetrics, I have found myself questioning my choice. Am I more left brained or right brained? And ultimately what is it that truly energizes me and excites me? What do I want to do every single day for the rest of my life until I retire? More presently, what do I want to make of my college career? These questions have led me to the lesson I have had to learn.
What I want for the rest of my life is to wake up every morning and work in an environment that energizes me. I want to go to a class every day that energizes me and will ultimately lead me to the career that will excite me every day. How I have figured out that I have not chosen the right major, is that when I do things that involve creativity, I get energized, I feel inspired, and confident. I don’t question anything when I am expressing myself in any form. That is not to say that my love of anatomy and healthcare has completely vanished, but I trust that if there’s a place I’m meant to be placed in this world to fulfill my purpose, I will be placed there. The question of how you find what energizes you is a question I find many people I know asking themselves. Also, how do you define energize? My definition of energize in this context of specifically “what” energizes me is described as a feeling more than a “what.” For example, I notice that when I write, paint, sketch, design, put together an outfit, create something digitally for social media, or anything that helps me to express myself, I feel excited and confident. I also feel this flow of creativity where my ideas continue to expand, and my skills feel like they’re improving.
I think the key to finding what energizes you is to be honest with yourself and ignore any outside influence that may be swaying you towards something you may feel 50/50 on. It’s your life, so why would you not want to feel 100% on it? It’s not just the voices of others that can sway us away from what we truly want to do, but our own voice. More specifically, our inner critic. That annoying voice that says you can’t, when in fact, you can. Life is purely what you make of it and if you say you can, you will. If you say you can’t, you’re just selling yourself short. We can sometimes amaze ourselves with what we accomplish. Another way I’ve found what energizes me is getting involved. I got involved with Her Campus, and I can confidently say that it has led me to this fruition. If there is an organization on campus or off campus that has even slightly sparked your interest, I recommend going for it, it may lead you to that one thing that energizes you!