365 Days (Part 2) | ✓

284. Making a Choice

284. Making a Choice: Write about a time when you had to make a difficult choice.

The bit choices are easy. It's easy to throw yourself into heroism in a big way. The hard choices are the small things -- the everyday decisions of humdrum and drudgery. I am prepared to sacrifice my life for a cause I believe in. However, am I prepared to sacrifice my time, my attitude, my selfishness in every day good causes? It’s a lot harder to sacrifice pride for good attitude, I think.

The biggest decision I have faced in my life to date is staring me in the face, and I haven't made that decision. I don't have the faintest clue how to go about making it.

You would think I would have the answer to it, considering it's a question I've been asked all of my life: What do you want to be when you grow up?

I have no clue.

Ideally, I would love to be an author. The feedback I get on here is amazing. I know I have a long way to go before I could hope of being published, but writing is truly my passion, and I've disciplined myself to be able to write whenever I wish to. Writer's block doesn't have a hold on me.

Realistically? It is incredibly difficult to make a living as an author. Of course, I would always write stories, and maybe I would get some of them published, but I wouldn't be able to live off of that career very easily.

So what else do I want to do? What is something that would adequately support me and a family? What am I good at? What strikes me as right?

You would not believe how often this is discussed in our family.

If I look at the facts: I like office work and organizing. I'm creative, but not very logical. I get along with almost everyone, but I'm not very good at leading them or persuading them. I'm a very hard worker, and am able to focus for hours at a time with no break and not even a good conception of time passing. I can figure things out quickly. However, I prefer to work alone.

The problem is that every job I mention, my dad vetoes and says, "Hannah, you're better than that."

Originally I was going to be a teacher, but then I met a certain 5 year old and decided I didn't have it in me to teach someone like him. Also, though I love my nieces and nephews deeply, the thought of simply being a teacher made me feel weary. Everyone told me I should be one, that I'd be a good one, and that little children need nice ladies to look after them. However, my work will not be teaching, I know now.

So what then? What is the secret to finding your career? All of my friends appear to have it figured it figured out. I think I missed the class where this is explained.

Wasn't I, like, 7 years old just yesterday?

It feels monumental, like I'll only have one chance to choose correctly. Everyone tells me I can change my mind later, but I don't want to. I want to choose the right option the first time.

Only, what is the right option, and does anyone have any idea on how to find it?