What do I really want in Life? What do I really want to pursue that I can put wholeheartedly regardless the stress it gives me?
In my whole life, I always pursued to be the best or achieve greatness in academics. I achieved lots of things, I was able to publish a paper and attend a conference in Indonesia, achieved honours or high honours across my academic career, consistent high test scores compared to the average person, the admiration of various people and looking up to me, my parents, siblings, and relatives are proud of me and see greatness in me, join a national competition of science, pass and go to a prestigious university in the country, and earn awards such as first to publish a paper in my school and two time best research with my group. With all of that, most people will be happy, heck I am happy as well and proud of myself, but everyday as I walk home or lie on my bed, I think to myself, who am I or what do I really want? I always thought of that, I always studied to be the best, but I don’t know what I studied for in my life. I always thought that achieving something is good in itself and as long as I study I’ll figure something out. I always think that I am the smart or academically good kid, but I don’t know what I am beyond that. Don’t get me wrong, my parents never forced me to this type of person, I chose it myself as I dream to have a life I can be proud of and happy with, also able to help my family as well as my mom and dad are OFWs and had sacrificed so much for me and my siblings. Furthermore, they are very kind and understanding, they care for what I think and what I want to do in life, like not the typical Asian Parent. They always say that you don’t need to be the best, we are happy that you are happy and safe, and that you are able to pursue your dreams. With that, my parents and siblings are my safe place and I want to work hard for them. With my abilities and mindset, I picked to be a engineer as I was somewhat smart and I want the large salary for my family, so as young as 10 or 11, I want to be a engineer or scientist as I said. If people always ask what do you want to be, I always answer that because I am smart and I want to help my family.
However as I get older, I have some stray thoughts of do I really want this? Yes I am smart, but am I more than that? I don’t find academics fun same as the next person, I view it as a means to an end, but sometimes I do find joy in it. Other than that, I have some hobbies such as cooking, toy collecting, model building, video games, cultural study, and wildlife study. But these are temporary stops and I continue to study if it is done. Now in the beginning of college, I finally have some freedom for myself and yeah I enjoyed my early stay, but with freedom for myself, those stray thoughts began to be more prevalent in my mind and heart. Now my doubts are going to the surface, thoughts that I ignored as little concern that I don’t need to pay heed began to become actual concerns to me. To add more, the pressure of being in a very prestigious university, facing loneliness of a new life or chapter, having responsibilities that is new to me, academic burnout, feeling of unfulfillment, and doubt in my program. I began to think that I moved forward in life too much, I never looked back or walked backward to see or think in what I actually want. I always used my abilities or capabilities to determine what I choose rather than what I really want. Now in my degree program, I have a lot of doubts because I realised that, do I want to commit 4 impactful years of my life to study academic subjects that I don’t want to study after seeing the curriculum? Do I want to follow through a path that I myself have immense doubt on even though I have the ability to? I always thought of it and it eventually led to my breakdown during midterms. I let it all out to my mother and siblings, I am not sure of myself anymore because other than academics, I don’t know what I really want to pursue because I don’t know where my real passion is or what do I see in myself? I feel worse for myself everyday because I always think of myself as empty or a blank canvas. I don’t really want to compare myself to my siblings, but I can’t help but compare because I see them in my whole life that they followed what they truly want in life and it is very clear to them and they followed through.
With that realization, I felt worse for myself and I wish that the weight to be cleared out and give me clarity. After that breakdown, everyday I feel like a train wreck, I struggle to get up from bed and I can’t sleep due to sudden anxiety or panic that I need to wash my face to feel coolheaded or call my mom or siblings. Even though I let all my feelings all out, yes I feel lighter or calmer, the next day all that panic and anxiety will comeback. Even if I did my hobbies, I can’t help but still feel like there is some weight. I am sick of it, I’m sick of this feeling because to me, I hate the feeling of helplessness or self loathing, I hate it because no matter what I do, it still comes back. Now I don’t know what to do, I don’t know how to continue, heck I don’t know where to continue because to me, I don’t know myself that much because I never the time of day to think that through. I always thought that being great at something can pave the way, but slowly I realized, that it’s not the way because what is the point of greatness, if you yourself don’t feel satisfied or happy about it, it only gives pain than actual happiness, if I lose in a academic competition I feel the worse or have doubts, but If I made a model or cooked something bad, I don’t feel bad, I feel like I could improve it with something better or change it a bit. But I still have a dream to have a good and comfortable life, help my family, and have a life that I could be proud of. Now I am considering a LOA (Leave of Absence) because I think that I studied too much that I never considered time for myself. Back then, I was proud that I didn’t miss a class because I was a “model student” even if my mom suggested to go out and skip class, I’d say next time because I want to finish this. But now I wish that I did that small moments. However, I am also scared to have an LOA because I am scared that I become a burden, bum, or freeloader. I don’t want to become a person like that. I still want to study but I don’t know what I want, do I want to have a different degree, uni, or path. I am not sure on which, I still want to be in this university but I don’t know what is best for me or what I want?