You aren’t crazy for doing something that someone else is afraid to do
People might question your decisions just because you are braver than them
My friend and I have been on this Oregon trail of getting a job together since we graduated. I had the chance to talk to her after a month away and we caught up on our prospects and so forth. She was really excited to talk more about me and my time in New York and I told her honestly: how chaotic it’s been and feeling overwhelmed and yet still not landing the job I’m looking for.
She pushes that all aside to remind me of how incredible it was that I still ended up doing the thing.
“I mean yeah but still.”
Her: “No but most people wouldn’t have done what you did. It’s not crazy. It takes a lot of bravery to put yourself out there and extreme dedication to make a decision like that….”
She goes on with this and this is mostly paraphrased because I cannot retain anything positive people tell me because lord forbid I have good energy in my life, but she mentions how I could also use this in interviews to shift gears on perseverance, dedication, action-oriented, etc. And I was still surprised, to be honest.
For me, and to many people similarly, we get so caught up. Literally, I have been focusing on: getting sleep, eating, journaling, and exercising. And while I have moments where I physically remember that I am doing the thing and really did move to a different place with 25% security and 75% ambition, you don’t really feel that way when you are trying to check off the list to just make it through the day.
I’ve stopped lying to people about why I came here. Of course, the obvious post-grad answer would be moving for a job, but I don’t have one* (*big girl job) and that’s what I’ve been telling people. Instead, I have said to try the New York thing. People are generally surprised, but most have admired that I moved, in a pandemic no less.
To the people who have questioned such actions, I believe are questioning themselves. They might see a reflection of themselves in me and wonder why haven’t they done the thing they’ve wanted to do.
Unless you are truly doubting the major changes you’ve made in your life, don’t worry about anyone else opinion of the choices you’ve made. So many people wouldn’t have done what you did, not because it’s crazy, but because they don’t have the mindset to be as fearless as you are. You took a chance on yourself.
What is life if it is not taking chances and figuring out where it might take you?
