My Purpose in Life

All of my life I've known what I wanted to do, or at least the department I wanted to get into. When I was 5, I wanted to be a singer (and I still do), but as life goes on you realize you need an actual profession to get you through. I've always had a huge passion for writing, and for a long time that was what I wanted to do as well. I guess I've never limited myself or have never seen myself doing just one thing the rest of my life; more like incorporating all the things I love into one really awesome job. For as long as I can remember, I knew exactly what I was going to major in when I got to college: Journalism.

But, as I started taking classes for that, I started having my doubts. Was that really what I'm supposed to be doing? It feels like I'm taking all these classes for absolutely nothing. Then, I started praying about it, and I asked for friends and the Young Adults group at church to pray as well. And lately, I've started to get my answer. I want my voice to be heard...I have a lot to say, but I can't always speak it as well as I can write it.  I want to tell other people's stories, and I never realized how interested I am in everyone's backgrounds until recently. I want to know more about the people that I'm close with, like what made them who they are? Why do they act the way they do? What were they like as kids? Everyone has a history, and I want to tell it in a unique, honest way. I think there are ways of telling the truth about a tough situation, without being too blunt or heartless about it. There's a way to show compassion through words and to paint a picture of sincerity through them.

I want to be the kind of Journalist like Diane Sawyer is. She's interested in whoever she's interviewing; she answers the hard hitting questions that everyone wants to know, but she does it like a friend would. You can tell she genuinely cares about what that person has to say, rather than just being determined to get an answer. I want to make an impact like Oprah did; I know there will never be another Oprah, but I want to talk about bigger issues than just who wore what or Jennifer Aniston's latest hairstyle. I think Journalism should be more than that, and it should help people feel like they're not alone in life, with the issues we face, because it's not an easy task. I want to approach topics or interviews with a light heart, to not focus on just getting the answer, but more to focus on getting to know the people in front of me...to tell their story the way they would, and the way they might not be able to. I want to help people find the good, even in sucky situations.

So, maybe I'm still wondering exactly what I'm going to end up doing after college, but now I do have a better idea. I know that journalism is a career that I want to have. I'd really like to work somewhere fun like a magazine or newspaper in the entertainment area. Maybe my own editorial on the "it" thing of the moment, like TV shows, music and movies. And I'm also starting to be more comfortable with the idea of doing a TV show and actually being in front of the camera. These are just a few ideas I have in mind, but I know that whatever God has planned is going to be sooooo much better. I'm just getting warmed up to His ideas.

That's all for now,
Shelby
xoxox