Craig and I have discussed our career plans with a lot of people, and so far the most negative reaction has come from my parents. This is particularly difficult for me, as it marks the first time we’ve had a significant disagreement about my life’s direction. Everything up to now – magnet middle school, magnet high school, college, grad school – has absolutely thrilled my parents. I was going to get a PhD and be the doctor that my conservative Asian mother had always dreamed of. “Passive income world playboy” doesn’t appear to hold quite the same cachet for her.
What keeps me going now is something Craig told me. I don’t want to spend my whole life blindly spinning my wheels with no destination. I want to be different, to distinguish myself. I’m not sure yet whether that will be through fame, fortune, or some other means, but it has to happen somehow. So what does that mean?
To distinguish yourself, at some point you have to choose a path that no one else would. If you make the same choices as everyone else, you’ll end up like everyone else. You have to do something crazy – make the risky choice that only makes sense in retrospect.
In the end, what it comes down to is believing in yourself. The last year of my life has completely changed how I see myself. For the first time, I am confident that I will succeed, even against all odds. Most likely that success won’t come the way I expect. Maybe it will. But I’m ready to walk a path that no one else can and I’m excited to see where I end up.
