You’re living your dream. Your whole life has been dedicated to getting into your dream college, becoming a pro basketball player,  marrying your high school sweetheart, getting that record deal to be the next big singer. Nothing can come between you and your aspirations. Until something does. Because that college you applied for turned you down, and you broke your leg and can no longer play ball, and your boyfriend or girlfriend found someone better, and that record deal fell apart and you’re back to a wannabe famous singer.

How do we deal with these upsets in life? Many people set their eyes on one goal and one goal only. Everything they work for is put toward that goal. But have they ever considered what would happen if things don’t go as planned? What’s their plan B? Do they even have a plan B? It seems as though we don’t make realistic plans for our future. This does not mean you shouldn’t shoot for the moon, but simply remember that only a dozen people have actually been to the moon. Not everyone will become a famous singer or actor; not everyone will go to the moon. That’s a fact. They say 65% of today’s students will have jobs that haven’t even been created. To think that we are taught to plan for futures that don’t even exist yet is crazy.

Sometimes it feels, as a whole, that we don’t even have a clue of what we want to do or be because we are too influenced by others to make decisions for ourselves. It’s great to have people to look up to, but if everyone one wants to grow up to be like Michael Jordan, then there will be no diversity. Having mentors who can help you persevere, push you in the right direction, and motivate you are key to success. Invent your own destiny, don’t follow someone else’s.

The point isn’t to tell you to stop chasing your dreams, but instead to tell you to create your own future and stop seeing things through the eyes of someone else’s life. In a world where we are so influenced by our peers, it can be hard to hear your own thoughts and most importantly actually recognize them. Once you are able to, then you can discover who you really are.