What do you want to do with your life?

Question

What do you want to do with your life?
Because my mum just went apisht at me for my indecisiveness I dont really get why, though. Im .

Answer

I want to spend the rest of my life truly living each day of my life. Many people quote quotcarpe diem,quot but few actually enact it. As Oscar Wilde said, To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. I dont know yet how Im going to make my living for the rest of my life, but I do I know how I want to make my life. Im plotting out one chapter of my life story at a time, and striving to fill each days page with purpose, interest, discoveries, desires, knowledge, and love. brbrOne of my contacts recently brought to my attention an answer I gave in the spring of to a question asking teens what we wanted to be when we grew up. My naiveté radiated from my answer. Id written a long, through description of my plans to double major in International Relations and Humanities at Stanford, and upon graduation work my way up the ladder at the White House and become the Director of Speechwriting like Jon Favreau by the time I was . I explained how I intended to go to law school in my late twenties and pursue a career in international diplomacy afterward. My goal was to eventually become the Ambassador to France and then run the UN. On the side Id intended to paint for an art gallery Id own, and when I retired Id teach at Georgetown. I wanted to name my daughter December Kate. I wrote that all with such earnest seriousness, and I cant help but laugh at myself when I read it now. I was sixteen then and standing on this solid platform of hope in front of trains of possibility that I had unquestioning confidence I could board and ride to my destinations. My life jumped track a few months later when I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, and it corroded some of youthful idealism. I had to work hard to get young and confident again. Cancer also took me in unexpected directions and changed my yearnings and ambitions. The idea of working for the White House or UN now sets on me like heavy wool on a scorching day. I think December is a terrible name. If Ive changed so much in two years, how will I evolve over the next decade? Im not as blissfully naive as I once was, but I am still so inchoate.brbrI now set goals for the present and the future thats within my horizon, and as I work towards them and the horizon changes, I redefine the goals. I am currently a sophomore in college and am working parttime in a job I love so much Id do it for free if I wasnt shamelessly in love with the independence that comes from my own paycheck. Im taking a full load of challenging classes and loving all but one of them. Next Spring Im going to apply to coterm in either Political Science or Psychology so Ill graduate with a MA and BA. I plan on working fulltime for the company Im with now after I graduate for a couple of years and then either seeking a jointdegree JD PhD in law and psychology or a JD MPA in law and Public Affairs. Im giving myself permission now to change my mind in the future if I so choose. If I achieve these goals but then decide to go in a new direction, Ill still have acquired the knowledge, experience and accomplishments from the process of attaining them. Even though my lofty ambitions in high school were a bit ridiculous, they propelled me to earn top grades and graduate at the top of my class. They helped me to achieve dreams I hadnt dreamt of yet at the time. brbrFreedom carries the responsibility of choice, and I think youre looking out at this ocean of choices and feeling intimidated and overwhelmed by them. Youre young and youre free, and as Dr. Seuss said quotyou have brains in your head and feet in your shoes, and you can steer yourself in any direction you choose.quot You dont have to decide on a direction to go in for the rest of your life, but you do need to start navigating your course and preparing to launch yourself. Youre the vessel and the captain of your life. Those who just set sail unprepared with the intention of letting the wind blow them wherever it may be might feel exhilarated at first but often wind up drifting around in the middle of nowhere rapidly running out of their provisions and feeling increasing panic and despair. And those who rigidly stick to a course that turns out to be unsuited to them can wind up living out their lives where they dont want to be. Instead, plan out your journey and readjust your sails as needed. Maintain your quotvesselquot by taking good care of your body and your mind. Learn about destinations and equip yourself with the knowledge and tools needed to reach the one you want to explore now. On the way to it, look around you. See what else is out there. Whatever you decide to do, youlll learn a bit more about yourself by doing it.