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Good things come to those who chase

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In my family, I’ve always been referred to as the spiritual one, much like my grandfather whom I unfortunately never had the pleasure of meeting.

Maybe because I was quiet and used to stare at people a lot growing up, or perhaps it was the hours spent telling long-winded, imaginary stories on my rocking horse.

As a freshman back in uni, I tried yoga, meditation, even studying Hinduism where I learned about Indian goddesses. Somewhere along the way I fell into the art of Zazen, later joining a local monastery with classes on “Modern Buddhism”.

I wasn’t trying to own up to my reputation, although it seems I did that rather brilliantly.

The fact is, I always felt I would learn more about myself this way, about my own ideas of success, my own emotional drivers and moral character. That is, by learning about other people, immersing myself in their beliefs, sometimes even taking them on as my own.

Maybe that’s what any third culture kid experiences (to cite an overused term…) As one myself, I know how difficult it can be to feel like you don’t belong to any one place, which also makes it a lot easier to try on any other culture for size.

Today I’m 25, and perhaps not too dissimilar from yourself, relentless in my search for “success”. Call me a jobogamist, I’ve committed myself to 142 job applications and 44 interviews to prove it.

And, although not everyone will share in my definition of success, here are a few things to keep in mind for those of us trying to make it.

  1. Never apologise for your own definition of success. It’s as good as anyone else’s, as long as it is in fact yours.
  2. The important people in your life won’t question you for it, second guess your intentions, or underestimate you.
  3. Unlike finding your path, which implies a certain level of linear direction and navigation, finding the work you love can (and should) send you on a wild goose chase. That’s not to say the journey is futile, or the things you’re reaching for are not there, only that it will almost never go as planned, and you should whole heartedly run with things regardless.  
  4. It’s ok if you haven’t found ‘your tribe’ in the process. You can belong just to yourself, too. Remove the pressure.
  5. Any experience you fear is worth taking, if only for that reason. Also know how to recognise when it’s time to let go of something that no longer serves its purpose.

So here we are, right? This is it. Life can sometimes send you on a wild goose chase, and the best thing we can do is acknowledge and learn to appreciate the imperfections, the flaws in our master plan.

And remember, good things aren’t worth just waiting for…they are worth pursuing.

Everything makes sense in retrospect, and good things do come to those who chase, even if that sometimes leads you head first into a bush.

- By Marielle Briant

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