A year ago I was getting ready for the Absa Capital
Pioneering Young Women Conference. I was
scared. I did not know what to
expect. I did not want to go
anymore. I had to psych myself up just
to move an inch out of my comfort zone.
I “opened” my mind to it. I put
myself “out there”. I went through with
it. In the end, it turned out to be one
of the best decisions I made for my life.
You see, for many years I dreamed of being a
journalist. I wanted it so badly it hurt
just to think about it. It felt like
someone had driven a knife through my heart every time I thought about writing
and how I was not doing it. I was
angry. I was miserable. I was kept from the thing I loved and I was
convincing myself to make my situation work.
It was hard. I was
lost. My friends were making
adult-decisions, and I was… not. They were
driven and excited about their futures.
I was driven and excited by socks with the days of the week on them, it worked wonders for my laundry schedule. They were all going for job interviews and I was working out a system to
categorize my rejection letters. I was failing at some standard of “life” I
created.
And then this conference came along. It was like rain that came after a
drought. I met some brilliant women
(whom I have already written about). It
unlocked a valuable lesson that steered me into destiny: Do what you love.
So a year later, I found myself on a plane to the Motherland. Doing that very thing. That thing that makes your heart beat
faster. That thing that gives you a rush
that surpasses infinities in one moment.
That thing that brings you to your knees with humility.
That thing that is so scary it is crippling, so you do your
best to move forward so that you do not sink into darkness. That thing that makes you vulnerable and
happy at the same time. That
thrill. That thing you know is the right
thing, because you have never been so dependent on God’s grace for life.
Sure, it takes courage to do it. That is because things are hard to do on your
own. But those are your dreams, no one
else’s. You cannot expect someone else
to share the same passion you have for it, or to complete tasks with the same
commitment. The fire is in YOUR
heart. It is YOUR adventure. It is what YOU love.
I have only been doing journalism for six months. What I know is: I am happy when I am working,
and I am miserable when I am not working.
And even though I have three jobs and no money- I am rich in the experiences
that have grown me.
Someone told me that my face lights up when I talk about it. She told me she wished she felt the same
way. She wished she loved what she was
doing.
Do what you love.
