Being completely real right now, I can honestly say my idea of a career and where I could end up changes on a weekly basis. It’s funny to me because I used to think I had it figured out. Coming into college I had my whole life planned, I was going to work with athletes and study exercise science, graduate school with a doctorate in physical therapy, and open my own clinic for athletic training and rehab. One semester of A&P later and I have not a clue what I’m really gonna do with my life. For the people who have a foolproof plan and are set for life, I would love to have your secret. I’ll be okay though.

Honestly though, I’ve never wanted my life to be defined by my career. I don’t think anyone really does necessarily, but I think especially in our generation, insecurity about our future with jobs and making money has a lot of us fixated on wealth and stability and not as much about personal relationships. I see it every day, through conversation or as I scroll through my social media. Anxiousness, insecurity, and hostility fill the world around us and I continue to see people grow apart from each other. Despite it all though, I haven’t lost my vision.

When I say my vision, I’m pointing to my real goals. My legacy. The stuff with substance, and the things’s I will be remembered by. I want my legacy to mean something. My goal is to touch others, to really listen to people and to be empathetic. I want to hear all the thoughts and perspectives I possibly can, to feel the good and the bad that comes with this life and to watch the future unfold itself. I wanna remember the people that came before me, who allow me to live the life that I am living today, and I want to wear where I came from on my sleeve at all times. I wanna constantly learn. More than anything, I wanna provide. I wanna provide for a family and I want to give them the world. I wanna have children, who I can teach to shoot big and never doubt what they are capable of.

My legacy is the most important thing for me in the future without question. I wake up every day with the mission of being the person I aspire to be. It may be simple, but it’s all I want. There are so many days where I read stories or think about people with money and fame who never build a legacy and get forgotten so easily. That’s my biggest fear. I’m a big fan of rap music and I love J. Cole, and one of his lyrics encompasses my message well. In his song “Changes”, he says “I know you desperate for a change let the pen glide, But the only real change comes from inside”. People often look for a change in their life to come external sources, like in the form of a check or lavish lifestyle, but in reality, he believes that real change for individuals comes from within.