A lot of people start their young lives being placed onto a team or in some kind of extra curricular activity. Maybe soccer, maybe ballet, maybe singing lessons. From that moment as a child kids start to grow and find which of these activities they are more interested in. Sometimes it happens naturally, sometimes they stick with something because of pressure from outside sources. I was lucky enough as a child to have parents that would listen to us if we weren't happy. I was okay at playing piano. I hated it. Cried every single time I had to go to lessons. So? I stopped taking them. My mother was sad, but I remember her distinctly saying that if I didn't enjoy it, she'd support me. My eldest sister, tried doing the basketball route. Couldn't stand it. So she stopped playing and fell in love with volleyball ( and her studies, of course.. She's an honor student). My brother would have been an outstanding baseball player. And the day he quit (maybe when he was 13 or 14) was a tough day for my parents, but he loved basketball. I mean really loved it. He was good at it too. Lefty shooter who averaged 19.9 ppg senior year of high school, broke his shooting elbow and was never quite the same. My sister now is a successful nurse and my brother a successful software engineer in California.
We hope to find our niche. What we're good at. What we are passionate about. I started playing basketball, well, before I can remember. I'm 25 now and still can honestly say I haven't stopped loving that game. The ups, the downs, the rush, the hard work, the challenge. It has been my life, how I've identified myself. The moment I started thinking about the next step... What I will do after I'm done playing, I felt as though I was losing a part of myself. There gets to be a point when your eyes focus on what's next, and it's terrifying. It's terrifying because you're starting new. You're a child again finding your niche. What you're good at.
I know that this doesn't apply to everyone. I also know that there are a lot of people that do go through this same struggle. The fear of the unknown. Not knowing yet what your purpose is. All I know is that as scary as it is, I am who I am because of the paths I've taken to get to this point in my life. I've learned so much, and am so ready to learn more. The possibilities are endless. Next adventure: Find that passion. You could learn that you love helping people when they're sick, or that you're brilliant with computers, or that you enjoy talking on camera. Put the heart and determination into it that has helped you so much thus far.
Until next time,
Jess
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