As humans, we have always been accustomed to doing what we are most comfortable with. From the time we were born, we have always preferred familiarity over the foreign – favoring our mother’s arms over a stranger’s, or choosing a recognizable stuffed animal rather than an unknown one. It’s a fact that we always gravitate toward what we know.

  As we slowly grow into more independent adults, the time we have to choose our passion seems very limited. Although people don’t like to talk about it, there is a stigma that if you don’t know what you want to do in your future, it means you are unmotivated.

  From the time I was young, I’d always been interested in media broadcast-related subjects. The art of film had always intrigued me, but other than that, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. While picking out my very first high school classes during eighth grade, I noticed that Granite Bay High had an entire media program, so I knew I had to try it out.

  Right from the start, I absolutely loved the class. I felt like I fit right in, and I had finally found somewhere where I belonged. I was determined to be the best I could be at what I did.

  I spent countless hours trying to work my way up to the top of the class, making connections with upperclassmen and taking advantage of every filming opportunity I could get. I learned from my peers, having them not just teach me the basics of cameras and editing, but also how to be a leader. They taught me that not everything is going to go as planned, and sometimes you have to do things yourself in order to get them done.

  Media continued to work out for me, so I continued to put in more time and effort into everything I did.

  During the spring term of my sophomore year, I noticed I didn’t feel the same anymore. I began to feel like nothing I was doing really meant anything, and I’d lost all the creativity and motivation I had left in me.

  It was hard for me to do the things I had once been so excited to do, and the goal of eventually doing media or film as a career had completely vanished.

  When my junior year began I walked back into class for the first time since the previous year,  and I sat there feeling unmotivated once again. I discussed it with my parents, and they suggested I try something else. So I took a risk, and I left the class that had once been my home.

  Though familiarity brings us a sense of comfort, it’s important to remember that there will always be another open door. It’s OK to change your path, and it’s OK to lose interest in things you once loved.

  When we become so comfortable with something, it makes it that much harder to move on and leave. But, no matter how much time you’ve invested in something, your happiness always comes first. So take risks. Don’t continue doing something just for the sole purpose of familiarity.

  While high school is short, and you might feel yourself being rushed to find a path that works for you, never settle. Don’t sit around and wait for things to become better – go out and try something new. Not everyone takes a linear path, and that’s perfectly OK.