“What do you want to be when you grow up?’’

This question; which everyone asked us and is still being asked of us: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” When I was six, I used to say, “I’ll be a teacher, a doctor, a dancer, a singer and an artist.” Funny isn’t it? And when I grew up a little more, by the age of nine, my answer changed. I began to say, “I’ll be the President of India” like it was a piece of cake for me. And now when I’m 14, I can’t stop thinking of how stupid I was then!

One day someone asked me the same question, again. I went into a deep thought and curiosity. The memory tape in my brain which had a record of all those moments when I was asked about my future plans was rolling in front of me. As I watched the 6-year-old me saying, “I’ll be a teacher, a doctor, a dancer, a singer and an artist”, I thought, “It doesn’t seem stupid anymore.”

I asked my mother once, “Should I be a writer?” She said, “Of course, you can do it.” I hesitated but still said, “I want to take up writing as my hobby and occupation both.” And all I got as a response from my mother was that I was stupid and that writing was a mere hobby and it won’t get me anything to “survive”.

Someone once told me that it was not difficult to earn money. I agree, because living your dream is what is difficult. Today, we (the youth) are better off in comparison to the present time mid-agers (our parents) when they were young. They did not have as many options that we have today. But we have opportunities which were not there back in the past so we can follow our dreams. But the problem comes when we have to choose our future. Our elders want us to earn money, get married and settle down.

What’s the point of doing the same thing every day you’re not even interested in or you are not passionate about?

What’s the point of doing the same thing every day you’re not even interested in or you are not passionate about? Alright, it may not be the same for everyone but still there are people in our life who will always nag you about not being wealthy enough. Why listen to those who tell us to have a clear-cut-tunnel-view right from our childhood? Walking on the same road everybody (our parents and their parents) walked on is not the thing of today’s youth. Why not give us some space and let us explore the highest skies and the deepest oceans. Let’s stop fearing that we might get lost because even if we do get lost we’ll try finding our way and become bolder, wiser, and stronger in this cruel world.

No work is of high or low standard. The only difference is whether what you do is creative or not, and if you are satisfied and happy with what you do. And that’s something we can call ‘priceless’.