“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
- T.S. Eliot
It’s officially been a year since I filed the papers for Soucie Holdings, LLC. I decided I was going to take my future into my own hands and not settle for one of the monotonous 9 – 5 jobs I applied for but did little to inspire or excite me.
When I decided to jump into the unknown of starting my own business, a friend of mine said, “You know, at some point you’re going to just have to suck it up and work for someone. You can’t always just do what you want.”
You want to know what I told her?
“Yes, yes I can.”
Despite the ups and downs of finding clients and dealing with the stressors of running my own business, I have been able to do what I want.
I travel (for pleasure) multiple times a month. I take naps. I go on afternoon runs. I sleep in. It’s not a bad deal!
But, here I am; a year later and still trying to figure out what {exactly} I want to do with my life.
I’ve seen a lot of friends and colleagues find comfortable jobs and settle down and they seem happy! Engagement rings and babies are popping up all over Facebook, and for some people, that’s exactly what they want.
Personally, the idea of settling down in a comfortable job with a happy family at age 22 scares the living daylights out of me.
What about traveling? Or just picking up and moving? Or trying out a different profession just because?
A lot of people say money is a big factor in that, but it’s all about priorities. Financially, I’m getting by. I’d be happier if I had a little bit more of a cushion, but wouldn’t we all? When it comes down to it, if you want to make it happen, you can.
The question I’ve been contemplating lately though is at what point, if ever, should you throw in your cards, find a comfortable job and settle down?
Hypothetically, you could bounce around until you find something you enjoy, but what if you never find that one thing that truly inspires you? What happens when you’ve spent 5+ years “bouncing around,” while everyone else has been working their way up the proverbial food chain of the workforce?
It’s a scary thought for someone like myself who had life all planned out (literally, in a Word Doc) since the beginning of college.
I know I have a tendency to over-think things (or so my boyfriend tells me!) but I can’t be the only 20-something who’s facing these decisions.
Ultimately, I see it as the choice between freedom and security, and I don’t think I’m quite ready to settle for the latter.
~ Miss Soucie