This piece was originally posted on the 3rd of November 2020. I have edited it again before posting.

This week’s quote is a portion of lyrics from Capricorn by Xan Griffin ft. WOLFE: 

"I will become what I'm meant to be 

I will give up self-made boundaries 

I will live in the world I will make

There is no doubt I will make my way"

This chorus has been surprisingly influential for me over the last couple of weeks. It both made me think and opened my eyes to my own behavioural biases. The phrase "what I'm meant to be" brought to the forefront so many questions for me about my future. I began to think about what do I want to do? What am I meant to do with my life? Though I enjoy my job, and I am good at it, I have to admit that I don't see myself doing this kind of retail work forever. Whenever I picture my future, I see myself sat behind a beautiful desk in a study with large bookcases and some soft classical music or chill instrumental jazz, working away at a novel or blog post. Whether I am reading, or writing varies day to day. Either way, I don't see myself making coffee and driving sales. There is so much more I could do with my life which would make me happy.

I have always been one to pursue an intellectually stimulating career. One where I can learn and help others to learn. For the longest time, I have been pursuing a traditional career in academics. Researching and writing, then teaching students what I have learnt from this (preferably at degree level). Who is to say that this is the only way to achieve my dream of learning, reading, writing, and helping others learn? For the longest time, I have been working under the assumption that this was the only way to make a name for myself in an environment where people thrive on learning. I know now that I was wrong. This assumption is just one of my many "self-made boundaries". Throughout my life I have attempted to be realistic about what to expect from any given situation. Also, what to aim for in life. I pride myself on being someone who thinks logically and acts rationally most of the time. However, in my pursuit of pragmatics I have drastically limited my options. By working under the assumption that a successful career for me would need to follow an established path I can undoubtedly say that I have been closing doors in my own face. Now, I can see that I have been building boundaries and rules that, once helpful, are now in the way. 

My eyes have been opened by the work of youtubers like Thomas Frank and Matt D'Avella. These people have built up a following by starting off as someone who just wanted to write and discuss their interests. They are living proof that there are many paths to the same end goals and different ones work for different people. They also prove that the riskier ways of pursuing goals aren't necessarily the worse options. The age of technology that we live in is developing faster than ever and opening so many avenues of opportunity for people to build careers that didn't exist five or ten years ago. Hence, why they are the paths less travelled by. By trying to remain logical, I became exclusionary. I would dismiss opportunities and ideas simply because they didn't have enough proof of possibility. I am actively fighting against these biases and broadening my understanding of what is possible. This blog is just one example of that. It is just one of the ways I am aiming to shape the world around me. By trying new things and putting myself out there I am creating more opportunities. I will "live in the world I will make" and keep building in the things I want to do, the things I enjoy doing, and the things that will make me happier.

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Matt D’Avella - https://www.youtube.com/user/blackboxfilmcompany

Thomas Frank - https://www.youtube.com/user/electrickeye91