Senior year of high school was supposed to be a time of excitement and preparation for the future, but for me, it was anything but. I felt completely lost, with no clear direction or sense of purpose.
Should I join the army? Go to college? Get a job at a factory? None of these options felt right, and I had no idea where to even begin figuring out what my future could hold. The uncertainty weighed on me heavily, and some days, the thought of trying felt more exhausting than giving up.
A Leap of Faith
When it came time to choose my final class for the year, I couldn’t bring myself to care. Instead of agonizing over it, I decided to leave it up to chance. I closed my eyes, pointed at a random option on the list, and hoped for the best. That random choice turned out to be Environmental Science.
At the time, it felt like just another class I had to get through to graduate. But little did I know, that one choice would become the turning point that changed the entire trajectory of my life.
Struggles Along the Way
Before that moment, I had tried to create my own sense of direction by joining an army training program. My best friend was committed to joining the military, and I thought maybe I could follow his lead. I even took the ASVAB test and scored well. But the physical demands of training were a different story.
I was obese, out of shape, and the last person to finish every drill. The others in the program had to run extra laps just to push me to the finish line. It was humiliating, and I started to feel like I was holding everyone back. Eventually, I dropped out.
When I told my parents, they didn’t offer support or encouragement. Instead, they took matters into their own hands, applying to a local college for me behind my back. It felt like another reminder that no one believed in me—not even my family.
Finding My Strength
At first, I was skeptical about college. But something surprising happened: I started to enjoy my Environmental Science extracurriculars. I discovered I had a knack for math and science, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I was good at something.
This unexpected success gave me a small glimmer of hope. I decided to declare Environmental Science as my major and see where it would take me. It wasn’t a grand plan, but it was the first step in what felt like a new direction.
Redefining Myself
Around this time, I made a choice that shaped not just my career, but my identity. I decided that I wanted to live honestly, no matter how hard it was. At first, this meant being brutally truthful, which didn’t always go over well. But as time went on, I learned to balance honesty with empathy, making it a core part of who I was.
In college, I took things further. I worked on stepping out of my comfort zone, trying to shed my introverted tendencies and embrace a more confident version of myself. I even started paying attention to my appearance—color-coordinating my clothes to feel a little more put together. These small changes added up, and I began to see a version of myself I could be proud of.
Accepting the Unexpected
Looking back, I can see how everything fit together, even when it didn’t make sense at the time. Dropping out of the army program felt like a failure, but it pushed me toward college. My parents’ interference felt like a lack of faith in me, but it opened a door I didn’t even know existed.
Choosing a random class turned out to be the best decision I could have made. It taught me that sometimes, the answers we’re looking for don’t come from overthinking or planning—they come from taking a leap of faith and trusting the path that unfolds.
Lessons Learned
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that it’s okay to feel lost. In fact, those moments of uncertainty often lead to the most profound growth. When I stopped trying to control every aspect of my life and started embracing what came my way, I found a sense of purpose I never thought possible.
I also learned the power of small steps. Choosing one class, declaring one major, and deciding to speak honestly—none of these felt monumental in the moment, but they all added up to something bigger.
Moving Forward
If you’re feeling lost, I hope my story shows you that it’s okay. You don’t need to have everything figured out right now. Sometimes, all it takes is one small decision to set you on a path that makes sense—maybe not immediately, but eventually.
Life has a way of surprising us when we let go of control and trust the journey. For me, that journey started with a random choice in high school. For you, it could start with something just as small.
Take the leap. Embrace the unknown. And trust that, even when you feel lost, you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.