Editor’s note: This story was written by a high school student in Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation’s Summer Youth Leadership Program. This story is part of a special back-to-school issue.
By Dalena Luong
SYLP STUDENT
Dalena Luong
Whether you realize it or not, we all have the dream to pursue a career in something that we love. Some may love art, while others love music. However, many obstacles are placed along the path to achieving your dream.
A major obstacle that people face is their parents. I have seen that most Asian parents want their children to become doctors and lawyers. For example, when I mentioned to my parents that being a psychiatrist is at the top of my list of careers, they exclaimed, “That isn’t a real job! You won’t be stable and successful. You need to be a pharmacist to make lots of money.”
During that exact moment, it felt like what I wanted was being pushed to the side because it wasn’t good enough for my parents. I felt like I had to have a new ambition, one that would please my parents and make them proud of me.
Soon after, I learned that this wasn’t the way to go.
Why should I continue to go through the misery of searching for a new dream if my heart isn’t in it? I made a promise to myself that I would not let another person’s words, opinions, or critiques get in the way of my dream. Since then, this promise has been kept.
Going back to success, how is success truly defined? Success shouldn’t be measured by how much money you have, but by how happy you are with your life. It’s the love and passion that keep you motivated. As long as you are pursuing your dream, you will make the people around you happy, including your parents, because you are happy with what you do. ♦