Graduation is near and with it comes a lot of scary feelings and decisions we have to make about what to do next. For some, the scariest part of graduating is the thought of never going to school again. Going to school is all we’ve ever known and now it’s all going to change.
Whether you are about to finish school or continue onto higher education, none of us have any idea what the future holds. Even if you have carefully drafted up the most detailed career plan on earth, life seems to throw us surprises that are impossible to plan for.
I am currently in the middle of my last semester of college. I thought by this time I’d for sure know what to do after graduation. I thought I’d have a dream job lined up by this time, but instead I am getting a multitude of questions from everyone about my plans after graduation without an answer for any of them.
I have this jumble of a map in my head that shows the many different paths I could take after getting my degree. I could stay in Wichita where it’s comfortable with friends and family. I could stretch my comfort zone, move across the country and start fresh. I could go on a mission trip, travel to eye opening countries and make a difference in communities. I could move abroad for a year and teach English. There are so many possibilities and opportunities available to us right now.
Our generation lives in a globally connected world. We are not limited to the town we grew up in. The only thing that hinders us is fear. Fear is what stands in our way. It leaves us feeling intimidated, and our fear for the unknown grows stronger as we near our graduation day.
Think back to when you were a kid. We were all dreamers. We had big imaginations and hopes and dreams. As we grew up we started to give in to the notion that we “can’t” do certain things that our childhood selves thought were possible. If when you were a kid you thought your career would be to save the world by flying and shooting laser beams out of your eyes, you’re obviously going to have to rethink that one a bit. I’m talking about the people that wanted to be doctors, but told themselves they weren’t smart enough. I’m talking about the people that want to be entrepreneurs, but live in fear of their business not making it if they try.
I challenge everyone to think about what your childhood aspirations were before you graduate. Let’s not let fear stand in our way. Let’s make our 8 year old selves proud and not be hindered by the fear this world has trained us to live in. Who cares if you fail. Failure is how we learn and grow. I’ve been letting indecision and fear control my life. Let’s take back the driver’s seat, and go land our dream careers!